


Cold

by Gilescandy



Series: Stories of Three [1]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: F/F, Flashbacks, Gen, Giles needs rescuing, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-21
Updated: 2015-08-22
Packaged: 2018-04-16 13:00:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 23,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4626189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gilescandy/pseuds/Gilescandy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Giles gets himself into a little bit of trouble.  It’s up to some of his ‘children’ to find him and bring him home safely.</p><p>Timeline -  Post-Chosen.  Not following the comics.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ch. 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: There are many dream/flashback sequences throughout this story. These scenes come from the episodes, ‘The Gift’, ‘Tabula Rasa’, and ‘Lies My Parents Told Me’. All the dialogue is word for word from the episodes, but interpreted from Giles point of view in the context of the story. I warn the “Buffy lovers” right now, doing it this way made Buffy seem more of the villain of the piece than I had intended. So, if you can’t take Buffy at her self-centered best, you’ve been warned. That said, they do come back to a good relationship at the end. I think you might approve.
> 
> A/N2: I have written Kennedy with the assumption that becoming a full slayer and gaining more responsibility has made her mature. I hope the voice I’ve given her is acceptable.

Two figures trudged along, trying to huddle together against the savage, whipping wind. Their blue parkas hid all signs of distinction on their bodies. For an overhead observer, they would be two meaningless blue specks in the vast whiteness of a remote Andean mountain. But these specks were determined. Not even the blizzard threatening to return would make them swerve from their course.

If one cared to look closer, they would notice blue was not the only color set against the blinding white. A small, green orb floated before them, guiding their way through the wilderness. At last, after three days of endless and agonizingly slow miles, it entered the mouth of a cave. The two figures entered the darkness, momentarily blinded by the shift from the sun-drenched snow. There it was. The orb hovered above a black mound lying so very still on the cold, stone floor.

Ripping her dark goggles off and pulling her hood back, Willow dropped to her knees beside the motionless sleeping bag. With a trembling hand, she carefully pulled the cocoon open.

“It’s him!” she shouted to her companion. “We found him!”

Kennedy ran in and slid to her knees above his head. “Just tell me we’re in time,” she whispered.

Willow chewed her chapped lower lip nervously as she pulled her gloves off and gently placed a bare hand against his cheek. “Goddess, he’s ice cold,” she nearly whimpered, her thumb tracing his blue lips and frost-laden eyelashes. Her fingers went to his throat in search of a pulse. “Come on,” she growled, “don’t do this to me.” Frustrated, Willow pushed the curled form onto his back, clawing his sleeping bag and coat open. “You are not allowed to die!” Her slender hand finally made it to the skin of his chest. “I feel it,” she sobbed. “His heart’s still beating.”

Kennedy put a steadying hand on her shoulder. “That’s a relief. I was not looking forward to making a bad phone call to Dawn.”

Willow’s mind began to work frantically. “He’s not safe yet. We have to get to work.”

“Hey, he’s in the hands of the two most powerful chicks on this content.” Kennedy gave her a reassuring nod. “We’ve got him now. There’s no way he’ll be anything but fine.” She was rewarded with a small smile from Willow. “All right, you know how I love it when you order me around...”

The redhead blinked for a moment, then caught her meaning. “Yes, right… Uh, it looks like he tried to get a fire started. I saw some big logs outside. Bring some in here and try to get them ready to burn. Oh, and leave the pack. The first thing we need to do is get his body temp up.”

The slayer stood and dropped her pack, the size of which most normal expeditions would have needed a mule to carry. “That wood’s been covered in snow for months. Are you sure we can get it lit?”

Willow smiled up at her girlfriend. “You do the slayer thing and turn big pieces of wood into little ones, I’ll do the witch thing and make sure they combust.” With a nod, Kennedy trotted back out into the snow. Willow looked down and tenderly ran her fingers through his soft, frosted hair. “We’re here now, Giles. We’re gonna take good care of you.”

+++++

About ten minutes later Kennedy had returned, dragging what looked like half a fallen tree. She was busy kicking the wood into fire size pieces. Willow had finished the work that had been started, building stones and kindling into a safe fire ring. As soon as the slayer brought the first two logs over, she spoke, “Ignis Incende,” and started a blazing fire.

When she was sure they weren’t all going to freeze to death, Willow began to dig through the contents of the pack. She took a pillow and placed it near the fire. Drawing a symbol on it with her finger, she made it grow into a soft bed-mat of a size that could sleep more than one comfortably. After that, she pulled out a double sized sleeping bag and positioned it atop the pillow.

“It’s all right, Giles, I’ve got you,” Willow murmured as she hurriedly returned to him. “I won’t let anything happen to you.” She continued to whisper soothing sounds as she began stripping layers off his limp form.

“I think that’ll last us through the night,” Kennedy appeared beside her. “What’s next?”

“Help me strip him.”

The dark-haired slayer cocked an eyebrow. “You know I’m all for that kind of party, Sweetie, but shouldn’t we be more focused on saving his life first?”

“Didn’t you pay any attention at the survival lectures,” Willow sighed. “His extremities are frozen. We need to raise his core temperature, and there’s no way just a fire will do that fast enough.”

“Right… Body heat. Knowing me, you’d think I’d remember that part.” She smiled at Willow’s exasperation with a sideways glance. Kennedy knew her girlfriend well enough to know she had to keep her mind working, keep her in business mode. The emotions would come later.

Willow moved down and managed to tug his boots, socks, and finally his jeans off, while Kenney tackled layers of sweaters and shirts. Soon Giles was left only with his shorts.

“Put him in our sleeping bag,” Willow ordered, knowing they had to move quickly. “Be as gentle as you can. Sudden movements could send his body into shock.” She began removing her own clothes, and was swiftly down to bra and panties.

Her girlfriend held their bed open for her so she could crawl in next to the deathly pale and still form of their friend and mentor. Willow wrapped herself around him as much as she could. She shivered. His flesh was so cold to the touch it made her body ache. But she was not going to let go for anything. Bring on an apocalypse. He was in her caring embrace now and no evil would dare touch him. Willow carefully cradled his head to her breast, hoping the steady rhythms of her breathing and heartbeat would somehow penetrate his unconscious mind and let him know he was no longer alone.

“He’s like a giant ice cube,” Willow muttered, looking up at the slayer.

Kennedy sat on her heels after zipping the pair up tight. “Do you think it would help if I squeezed in there with you?”

The witch tucked the thick fabric out of the way under her chin, completely cocooning Giles. “It probably would, but we have to remember to look after ourselves, too. I think you should fix some dinner. We both need the calories. Oh, and try brewing some tea. Hopefully we’ll be able to get something warm into him.”

Watching Kennedy go efficiently about the work of survival, Willow focused all her energy on holding onto her frozen bundle. “No more adventures for you, Mister,” she murmured to him. “When we get you out of this alive, I’m never letting you out of my sight again.”

+++++

_Willow tried her best to stifle her giggles as she answered the ringing phone. When she couldn’t, she went with it and answered, “Willow Rosenburg’s house of laughter.”_

_“Willow? Is that you?”_

_“Dawn! Hey, Sweetheart, how’re your classes going?”_

_Willow’s good mood halted when she thought she heard a sob over the phone. “Screw my classes,” the teenager muttered._

_“What’s the matter? Tell me what’s wrong, Dawnie.” The head of The South American Division of the New Watcher’s Council transitioned into full business mode. She sat at her desk and grabbed a pen._

_“I can’t get a hold of him. He hasn’t called.” Willow could hear the girl’s tears and panic in her voice._

_“Try to calm down and tell me who’s in trouble.” A multitude of possibilities pelted the witch’s mind. Could Xander be hurt in Africa? Are Faith and Robin in trouble? Has one of her little friends from school gone missing?_

_“He promised to call me. It’s been too long. I know something bad happened.”_

_Willow suddenly wished she could reach across the ocean and hold the girl in her arms. “Please, Dawn, tell me. I can’t help if I don’t know where to start.”_

_“Giles,” the girl wailed._

_A sigh of relief nearly escaped as a laugh. “It’s all right, Dawnie. He was here visiting us only a week ago. He went on an expedition to search for some rare demon in the Andes.”_

_“I know where he went. But it’s been too long. Listen to me! You know that I’ve been having some fights with Buffy. Well, Giles always lets me talk things through with him, even besides helping me with my studies. When they had that big fight and he decided he need to get away for a while, he swore to me he’d still be there for me. He even took the satellite phone for emergency Council business and promised to check in with me every day.”_

_“Okay… has he?”_

_“Yes, even just to tell me he was doing fine.”_

_“Well, then-”_

_“Willow, it’s been three days since his last call!”_

_“It has been stormy over here, Dawn. Do you think he just can’t get through?”_

_“Something’s wrong! I feel it… in my heart. You’re even closer to him than I am. Reach out. Does your heart tell you Giles is safe?”_

_Willow took a deep breath and did as the girl asked. She couldn’t deny something was there. A pricking in her gut that said someone she loved was in danger. “All right,” she sighed. “Have you told Buffy?”_

_“Why would Buffy care?” Dawn growled._

_“Now that’s not fair and you know it. She loves Giles as much as any of us.” There was no response. Willow sighed. “Can you remember what Giles said last time he called you?”_

_“Yeah,” relief that she had found help was clear in the teenager’s voice, “He said in the morning his guide was taking him to the village of the last known sighting.”_

A loud clatter made Willow jerk awake.

Kennedy looked up apologetically. “Sorry about that. But dinner’s ready, if that helps.”

“There was a guide!” Willow suddenly gasped. “Giles had a guide with him.”

The slayer nodded slowly. “That also occurred to me when I found two packs while I was checking out the cave. Still, there’s no sign of another man. Any footprints outside have been covered or blown away, and farther back, this cave has tunnels that reach who knows how deep into the mountain. I’ll search again later.”

“Maybe he went for help or something.”

Kennedy frowned at the uncharacteristic lack of hope in Willow’s voice. They both knew that getting caught in an unexpected blizzard while demon hunting was not exactly conducive to survival. Even for those well versed in their world.

The slayer gave her best smile. “Hey, while you were asleep I found the hot packs in the gear. I opened a few and stuck them under the foot of the sleeping bag. He’s so tall, I figured, even with you in there, his feet could use a little help.”

“Thank you,” Willow swallowed the lump in her throat that formed at the younger woman’s thoughtfulness. “When I took his boots off I didn’t notice any damage, but then, my focus was more on keeping him alive.”

Kennedy stood, and wadded Giles’ down coat up behind Willow to help prop her up. She then handed her girlfriend a steaming bowl. “Careful, it’s hot.”

“Mmm…” the witch forced a smile. “Freeze dried soup. Gets better every time.”

With a chuckle, the slayer asked, “How about some tea to go with that?”

“Sounds good.” Willow set her bowl on a flat stone behind her and opened the sleeping bag enough the look into Giles’ face. It remained a chapped marbled red, and very still. “I’m such an idiot,” the redhead groaned. “How are you supposed to drink anything when you’re all unconscious?”

“However, you’re probably right that he’s dehydrated. Who knows how long he’s gone up here without any water?” Kennedy smiled encouragingly at the worry that creased Willow’s brow. “That’s why I dug this out of the emergency kit.” She reached into her coat and pulled out a saline pack. “Figured it’d do him more good if I warmed it up a bit first.”

Willow bit her lip. “Technically you’re not supposed to give hypothermia victims fluids, but he looks so bad and his skin is so dry. We have to try. Slow and warm, yes that should help even more than getting him to drink.” She smiled, “Have I told you I love you lately?”

“See, and you thought I was asleep through all those boring lectures.”

Willow chuckled. “We’re lucky you weren’t. I seem to have turned into a mental deficient.”

“Babe, if you’re a mental deficient, the rest of us are single celled organisms. I think you have a pass to be so worried right now.” Kennedy ran her fingers through fiery hair. “I like to think if I were in trouble like this, you’d be losing some of your cool over me, too.” She handed the bag of fluids over. “Here, you find somewhere to stab him, and I’ll set up something to hold the bag up.”

The girls worked to give him the life saving treatment he need, not noticing that Giles’ eyes slowly began to roll under his lids.

+++++

_As he walks timidly into the training room, Giles watches for a few moments while Buffy takes out her frustrations on the heavy punching bag. He hides a cringe, seeing ripples flow through the thick material under the impact of her attacks. ‘Most likely envisioning me there,’ the Watcher can’t help thinking. ‘Not that I’d blame her.’_

_Quietly working his tight throat loose, he says the only thing that will venture passed his lips. “You sure you’re not going to tire yourself out?”_

_Buffy let’s her arms drop for a moment. “I’m sure.” She isn’t looking back at him and Giles can feel her bristle at his presence. Her obvious discomfort in his proximity stings on his skin. Buffy starts throwing punches again, never sparing him a glance._

_His Adam’s apple bobs for a moment, then it seems to him that he’s incapable of stopping the stream of insufferable small talk that comes pouring from his own mouth. “We’re still working on ideas. Time is short but, um, best leave it to the last moment.” He watches Buffy stop throwing punches once again and stretch her arms. She’s annoyed but, for some reason, he can’t stop himself. “If we go in too early and she takes us out, no chance of getting her to miss her window.”_

_“Then we wait,” Buffy states evenly. She throws one last powerful blow that sends the punching bag off its chain and across the room. Giles feels the force of the impact blast through him and fights the urge to double over._

_He swallows hard, taking a tentative step towards her as Buffy’s eyes remain focused on the bag. “I love Dawn,” Giles whispers, his heart pleading for her to believe him._

_“I know.” Her voice is soft but, without seeing her eyes, he doubts her words._

_“But I’ve sworn to protect this world,” Giles tries to explain. “And sometimes that means saying and doing… what other people can’t. What they shouldn’t have to.”_

_Buffy finally turns to look at him, but her eyes are hard. He feels her steely gaze as another blow, and the wound in his side begins to ache unbearably. “You try to hurt her, and I’ll stop you.” Her words are steady and controlled, but Giles can read their true meaning in her darkened eyes, ‘I’ll kill you’._

_He nods, “I know.” The words leave his mouth in a deep breath that blossoms into a cloud of steam before him. He shivers with the cold._

_He watches his slayer slowly walk to the couch and sit. Giles follows, carefully sliding down into the other end. The conversation seems to continue, sadly, but amiably. Talk of past apocalypses and how they’ve always been stopped. However, Giles is distracted, watching, fascinated, as the walls in the familiar room are covered over with growing ice crystals and begin to crackle with the freezing cold. His eyes suddenly focus on Buffy, standing a few feet before him and looking down at him._

_“The spirit guide told me that death is my gift,” she says. “Guess that means a slayer really is just a killer after all.”_

_“I think you’re wrong about that,” Giles forces out, his breath now freezing painfully in his lungs._

_Buffy shakes her head. “It doesn’t matter. If Dawn dies, I’m done with it. I’m quitting.” She turns and walks out, leaving her unspoken words echoing in his head. ‘I’m done with you’._

_Giles wraps his jacket tighter around himself. He’s shivering uncontrollably now in the deathly cold, frozen room. As he glances away from the door, in the farthest corner of the room he thinks he sees a tiny spark, shimmering, fighting against the overwhelming cold, and beckoning him closer. His course clear, Giles rises and follows his slayer._


	2. Ch. 2

“How’s he doing?” Kennedy whispered as she huddled by the fire after cleaning up the dinner dishes.

Willow sighed. “He still feels like a block of ice. I think the sooner we can get him off this goddess forsaken mountain, the better.”

The slayer glanced toward the mouth of the cave. “The sun’s set. With the new moon, it’s like staring into a pail of pitch out there.” Kennedy smiled as her girlfriend chewed her lip in nervous habit. “We can get him through the night,” she soothed. “In the morning, I’ll fix up some kind of sled to put him on. Then, you just watch how fast we can get him down this mountain and to a hospital.”

“You’re right,” Willow breathed, reinforcing the vote of faith in their combined abilities. “After all he’s done for us, we can’t let him down now.” The witch tenderly shifted his head to a more comfortable position on her shoulder and absently ran her fingers through his hair. “Hear that?” she whispered into his temple. “We’re gonna get you out of here soon.”

Kennedy poured herself another mug of tea and returned to her seat by the head of the bed, always facing the mouth of the cave. “So, how often?” she asked conversationally.

Willow’s reply was a distracted, “How often what?”

“With him?” the slayer chuckled.

“What with him?”

Kennedy sighed. “You know you don’t have to worry about my feelings… I’m not the threatened type. You’ve already told me you’ve done the boyfriend thing. And how many years have you known this guy?”

“Almost eight… seems like forever. But what does that have to do with me having had a boyfriend?” Willow was highly confused.

“Oh, right… If it was all a secret, you don’t have to worry about me. I promise it won’t leave this mountain.” There was still no comprehension in the other woman’s eyes. “I mean, I’ve always played for the same team, and most of my time around him he was always pretty stressed, but even I can see he’s a pretty good looker for a man, and there must have been some time he loosened up. So, I just wanted to know…”

Willow suddenly looked at her with wide eyes. “You think me and Giles…” she eeped. “That we… Me and Giles…”

“Why wouldn’t you?” Kennedy shrugged.

“Because he’s… he’s my friend… and my teacher… And he’s Giles for goddess sake!”

“Why does any of that make a difference? My first experience was with a tutor of mine.” The slayer smiled, “She taught me an awful lot.”

“But… but it would be wrong… right?” Willow felt her cheeks burning at the very thought of… with Giles! “I mean, I did have a little crush at first. I was in high school, and he was the most amazing man I’d ever seen.” Nostalgia filled her voice. “He was brilliant, and strong… And he seemed to actually care about me, and Xander, and Buffy. He could have just pushed us out into the cold, let us fend for ourselves. I mean, he was Buffy’s Watcher, the rest of us didn’t have to matter to him. But he let us help… He made me feel useful, even important. At that point in my life, no adult had ever treated me like that.”

“I can see how he would do all of that. Even when we were fighting The First, I noticed how much he must have cared. We were all new to the whole thing, and scared out of our wits. Though, some of us covered that up by pretending we could take on anything,” Kennedy smiled self-deprecatingly. “But we all owed our lives somehow to him. We were in trouble and he came to get us. And we also watched as he worked so hard, and you guys didn’t even seem to notice him… I’m sorry, when I asked the original question, I meant to cheer you up.”

Willow cleared her throat. “Don’t worry. We were all going through a tough time then. We’ve all had long talks with him and apologized since.” Under her breath she added, “I hope.” She instinctively squeezed him tighter, as if to say she was sorry again.

“So,” the slayer forced a cheerier voice, “you’re really telling me that you never took advantage of that.” She glanced lasciviously at the unconscious man in her girlfriend’s arms.

“No!” Willow screeched and laughed at the waggling eyebrows. “Do you even get how wrong that would be? He’s Giles!”

“Oh, I get it… You couldn’t, because Buffy wouldn’t share.”

“Kennedy! He’s her Watcher. There was never… In fact, when the Council fired him, it was because of his ‘fatherly’ feelings. Goddess, they would never…”

The first truly amused smile she’d managed to elicit from her girlfriend in three days made the slayer’s eyes sparkle. “You sure about that? You’ve admitted you were smart enough to have a crush. You don’t think Buffy ever considered…?”

Willow sighed and shook her head. “We’re best friends, she would have told me. Besides, Buffy always seemed to have her focus elsewhere. I think, when she looked at Giles, she saw… Well, did you ever have a Ken doll? Total blank in that department.”

Kennedy spit a mouthful of tea into the fire with a snort. Laughing, she sopped up the liquid from her face with the back of her glove. “Wow… Now that’s an interesting image.”

“Sorry,” Willow chuckled. “What ever made you think that we had…” she couldn’t even say it out loud, “in the first place?”

With an easy shrug and a smile, Kennedy set her empty mug down. “I guess, just looking at the comfortable way you’re holding him. I’ve only ever seen anyone be that careful and tender with either a child or a lover. And with how worried you’ve been since Dawn called, it wasn’t a stretch for me to imagine. You may tell me you’ve never gone to bed with him, but I won’t believe you don’t love him.”

The witch ducked her head slightly and hid her shy smile in his soft hair. “I do love him,” she finally sighed. “He’s been more to me, and gotten me through more horrible times, than anyone in my life. Well, maybe Xander, but that’s a little different.” She blinked tears back as the realization of the depth to which she did love him swept through her. “It’s true, Giles,” she whispered, gently kissing the top of his head. “I love you so much. And you have to pull through this, because I can’t imagine what any of us would do without you.”

The slayer saw her fighting back tears. With a mischievous glint in her eyes, she said, as if off hand, “Maybe, when he recovers enough, he’ll be up for taking us both on. There’s not many people I’d share you with, but him… That could be a real blast.”

“Kennedy!” Willow squeaked and giggled nervously. Then, with an impish smile, she came back with, “What makes you think I’d be willing to share him?”

The brunette laughed at the retaliation. “That’s my girl.”

After a bit, they both came down from the good, joyful laughter that was desperately needed. Willow suddenly muttered, “Darn. You made me laugh and now I have to…”

“Oh, of course… Let me get your parka and boots ready at least. It’s nice here by the fire but, since the sun went down, the cold has become amazing.” Willow hurriedly squirmed out of the sleeping bag, trying to let as little warmth escape as possible, and Kennedy helped wrap her up as much as she could. “Don’t leave the cave,” the slayer whispered. “I’m serious about it being super dark, and someone here needs you not to get lost.”

“Yes, Dear,” Willow teased.

When she got back from her bedtime necessaries, Willow stood for a moment in silence and watched. The tough-as-nails slayer was sitting on the bed next to Giles. She was gently caressing some soothing balm into his dry, chapped face and hands. As she worked on his damaged skin, Willow could hear her whispering to him, but couldn’t quite catch what she was saying.

Knowing better than to sneak up on a slayer, Willow spoke softly as she resumed her approach. “Where did you find that?”

Kennedy glanced over her shoulder before finishing with Giles’ hand. “It was in the guide’s pack. I saw them selling some when we came through the local villages. I think it’s some kind of moisturizer they use to protect their skin up here. But, from the smell of it, I don’t think I ever want to know what they make it out of. He just looked like he could use a little help.”

The slayer looked up to see tears running down Willow’s cheeks. Startled, she jumped up and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend. The redhead melted into her embrace, shaking and bawling like a lost child.

“It’s my fault,” she wailed, after a full three minutes of not being able to form words at all.

“Shh,” Kennedy soothed, stroking her hair. “What is?”

“This. H-him lying there… Looks so weak… I-I should have known better. I could have stopped him. He came to see us, all excited about coming up here to find some extinct demon, and I was all la la la that’s so great. I should have known.”

“How were you supposed to know? It was a freak blizzard, came out of nowhere. He took all the right precautions. And why is it your fault? Mr. Giles can take care of himself.”

Willow barked out a laugh. “Yeah, don’t need to worry about the concussion king getting hurt.”

“What?”

“I’m sorry.” She took deep calming breaths. “It’s just seeing him look so frail and vulnerable. I’ve almost lost him before, but this feels different… somehow worse. I can’t, I can’t lose him like this, Kennedy.”

“We won’t. If I have to tear this mountain out from under us stone by stone to get him help, that’s what I’ll do. I promise you, Willow, he’ll be okay.”

The witch nodded, seeing the determination in the other woman’s eyes. “I know you will,” she whispered. “I don’t know what happened. It just hit me…”

“I’ve been expecting it. You’ve been a wreck for days and you needed to let it out.”

Willow gave a soggy smiled. “I think I interrupted you. What were you telling him?”

Kennedy quickly glanced down over her shoulder. “Just a bit of forgotten business between us. You know… thought it’d be good to let him hear my voice.” Willow’s bright green eyes smiled at her and she felt the slender body shiver in her grasp. “You must be freezing. Here, let’s get you back into bed with the ice man.”

“Very funny,” Willow sniped.

“Yes, well… I’d rather have you laughing than crying.”

Willow was extracted once again from her clothes and carefully slipped in next to Giles. He was still extremely cold, but she made herself believe that his chest felt a little warmer, his breathing a little deeper, and take hope from that. She crawled over him to wedge into the fold of the bag, careful not to disturb the IV attached to his arm.

“There’s room for you,” she said when she finally had herself situated. “It’s too cold for you to be by yourself tonight.”

“I really think I should keep watch. Who knows what might sneak up on us in this cave?”

“I knew you’d say that,” Willow grinned. “That’s why I set wards at the mouth of the cave. If so much as a chinchilla crosses that boundary, this whole place will light up like Carnival.”

“Now that sounds like fun. Carnival was the craziest thing I’ve ever seen, even as a slayer. I imagine something like that breaking out where I grew up… I think the entire country might just have a heart attack.”

Willow laughed, which was the point.

“Please. It’s been a long few days for both of us, and we need our strength for tomorrow.” There was still hesitation. “I think it would really help Giles to have the heat from both of us.” And that was the knock out punch. The slayer might have acted like she didn’t care about much, but Willow knew better. Since the expedition had begun, Kennedy had not let a single doubt be expressed that they would find him and bring him home. She cared, more than she would ever share.

“All right. But I think I should do one more thing first. I found this in his bag.” She held up a satellite phone.

“What time is it?”

“It’s still a bit early for her to be getting up for school, but do you really think Dawn has slept since he went missing? I have an idea she might not mind being roused out of bed by this news.”

“I know she wouldn’t.” Willow’s voice was suddenly timid. “But, what if we give her good news and something… happens? Won’t that be worse for her?” She sighed at Kennedy’s glare. “Two most powerful chicks on the continent. We’re gonna get him out.”

“That’s right! I’m going to find a better signal. I’ll be back before you know it.”

“Hey! There are people here who need you not to get lost either. Be careful.”

+++++

_Willow glanced up from the paperwork on the desk in her office study when Kennedy opened the door and announced with a smile, “We have a visitor.”_

_She was up and running across the room before the tall Englishman shyly entering could say a word. “Giles,” she threw her arms around his neck, “it’s been so long. I’ve missed you.”_

_He gently let his arms snake around her waist. After everything they’d been through, and now with her having the responsibility of being one of the heads of the Council, it always amazed him that there were times when he could still see the joyful, young girl he’d met so many years ago. “Willow,” he smiled at her as he pulled back. “I take it that my insecurities about coming to see you were unwarranted.”_

_The girls led him to a comfortable sitting area beside large, open windows that looked out over the sparkling ocean. “Why would you worry about coming to visit me? I’m always glad to see you. Heck, even when I try to kill you, I’m glad you came.” They shared a meaningful glance, both happy that the incident had turned out well enough it could be joked about._

_“Can I get you something?” Kennedy asked. “I find it a bit too warm for tea here, but we have ice water, and lemonade, and this Brazilian drink that has a nice kick to it.”_

_“Thank you, dear. I think I’ll take whatever you would normally have at this time. I’ll admit, I’m still trying to adjust to the tropical atmosphere.”_

_The slayer grinned, “You should see it in the summertime.”_

_“Now,” Willow settled into the armchair next to him and pulled a long leg up underneath her, “tell me why insecure-guy.”_

_“It was down to having a long flight in which to brood, I suppose. I’d feared Buffy would have called you to talk and you, being her best friend, would share her anger towards me.”_

_“Buffy did call, Giles. And yes, she went on and on about how unreasonable and pigheaded you are. But, you forget, I know Buffy, and I know you, and when you guys fight, I also know better than to get in the middle until you work it out.”_

_Kennedy returned and set a tray of iced drinks on the small table. She then collected one for herself and took her seat._

_“I don’t know that it will be ‘worked out’ this time, Willow.” Giles reached for his drink and nodded his thanks to Kennedy._

_“Of course it will,” Willow stated reassuringly. “It’s you and Buffy. Only now, you’re head of the New Council, and Buffy is responsible for an army of new slayers. I think, sometimes maybe, she forgets that you’ve always had her best interest at heart and just sees the old Council trying to control her slayers like they did her. Our Buff isn’t known for always seeing the big picture when you tell her what needs to be done.”_

_Giles nodded thoughtfully and took a sip of his colorful drink. His eyes went wide and he fought the urge to choke when the nearly too sweet liquid hit the back his throat and turned into fire._

_“Told you it had a good kick,” Kennedy grinned at his reaction._

_Giles suddenly found her barely suppressed giggles rather annoying. “And you’re old enough to be dinking this?”_

_“I am here,” the slayer laughed. “Of course, if you can’t handle it…”_

_He took another drink, this time ready for the impact. “Still, it seems rather strong to be indulged in during a work day.”_

_Willow smiled, “Not when you’re still at work at six-thirty.”_

_Giles looked out the window at the bright blue sky over the dazzling emeralds and sapphires of the Brazilian landscape. “Seems hard to believe…”_

_Kennedy giggled, “We’re not in England anymore, Old Man.”_

_“So, tell us about this ‘stupid, adventure-seeking, youth-recapturing, running-away-from-responsibility, no-good-reason, trip’. As Buffy puts it.”_

_“Actually, there is a good reason,” Giles began, settling comfortably into lecture mode. “Have you heard of the Curinqueans?”_

_“Sure,” Kennedy said. “They’re a myth down here. Their version of Bigfoot.”_

_“Ah, but I have reason to believe they’re not entirely fictional. I’ve found a few entries in some of the older grimoires that speak of an ancient demon race. One that was thought to have gone extinct many centuries ago, and some of those descriptions closely resemble what is believed about these creatures.”_

_“So you think Bigfoot’s an extinct demon.” Willow had an amused smile. “And you’ve come here to hunt it.”_

_“The most resent credible sightings were in the Peruvian Andes. And I don’t so much wish to hunt it as to try to make contact.”_

_Kennedy frowned. “Make contact? Isn’t our job to kill demons?”_

_“Buffy’s response precisely,” Giles sighed. “However, we have been known to encounter helpful demons before. According to my books, these demons died out because they were hunted by other demons for being sympathetic towards humankind. If there are a few still alive, their knowledge of ancient times and magicks could be invaluable. And, if I could make contact and solicit their help for our cause…”_

_“I see what you mean,” Willow nodded. “But you’re still going up into the mountains in the dead of winter, and you’re hunting a demon. I think you should take at least one slayer with you. We have a couple girls who just finished their training and would love a first assignment.”_

_“I’ve thought this over. I have a guide that knows the area and has my faith. Also, I think having a slayer with me would be a show of force that might negate my efforts to earn their acceptance.”_

_“But, Giles…”_

_“I’ll be perfectly safe, Willow. Trust me.” He reached a hand out and affectionately rubbed her arm._

The feel of a chilly hand alighting on her arm pulled Willow out of an uneasy sleep. “Giles?” she called groggily.

“It’s only me,” Kennedy said in a soothing voice. She had crawled into the sleeping bag on the other side of their chilled patient and was trying to settle in enough for some rest.

Willow blinked to focus on the figure, darkened by the light of the fire behind it. “I must have dozed off waiting for you. Were you able to get through?”

“Clear as a bell. I never knew it was possible to hear someone jumping up and down over a phone.”

“Did you tell her we still have to get him to a hospital?”

Kennedy nodded. “I know better than to try to sugarcoat things for our Dawnie. I told her we found him alive, but he’s not in the best shape.” The slayer smiled, “Do you know what she said?”

Willow shook her head.

“She said, ‘Willow’s with Giles now. Everything will be all good’. I hope you both know how much that girl loves you.”

“Dawn’s been through a lot. We’ve become her family. I lost her trust one time. I just hope it never happens again.”

“Well, it seems she trusts you to bring him home. By morning, she’ll be on her way to our place in Rio.”

“Wait, first of all, we’re in Peru. We won’t make it all the way to a hospital in Brazil with him.”

“She get’s that. Figures she’ll get a head start just by being on the same continent when we get back to her with some details.”

“That girl’s too smart for her own good.”

Kennedy grinned, “Spent too much time with you.”

“Okay, but, if she won’t even talk to Buffy right now, how did she manage travel plans so fast?” The slayer smiled and waited for her girlfriend’s agile mind. “Andrew,” Willow groaned.

“He looks at Mr. Giles as a role-model. I’d be surprised if he didn’t show up, too.”

“You’re right. It was just a few of us for so long, sometimes I forget how many people really care about this guy these days.”

“We’d better get some rest if we’re going to get an early start tomorrow.”

“I know. Goodnight, Sweetheart.” Willow settled in next to the hard, male body between them and smiled as her girlfriend’s soft hand stroked her arm.

“Willow,” Kennedy whispered after a few minutes, “do you feel that?”

“Mmm?”

“He’s shivering. Was he always shivering?”

Willow wrapped her arms around him and held him tight. She could feel it, too. “His muscles are getting warmer, stating to work again. His body’s fighting to come back to us.”

“I told you Mr. Giles was strong,” the slayer murmured as she drifted off to sleep.

++++

_“What?” Buffy screams, hovering over Giles as he sits on the couch in the workout room._

_Steam fills the chilled air when he slowly releases a deep breath. He had known she wouldn’t take this news well. But, as he watches her wide eyes fill with betrayal, Giles steadies himself. He tells himself again that this is the right course of action._

_“I have to,” he forces air from frozen lungs._

_Buffy plops down on a stack of exercise mats beside him and grunts, “Uh-huh.” She hides her face in her hands. Giles wants to reach out, fold her into his arms and keep her safe always, but he knows he can’t. She is the Slayer, and his sworn duty is to prepare her for battle. He can’t do that if he remains standing between her and the fight. A frozen hand seems to squeeze tighter around his heart._

_“You have to be strong,” he makes himself speak gently. “I’m, I’m trying to-”_

_Giles fights the urge to flinch as Buffy jumps up shouting, “Trying to, to what? Desert me?” He holds himself steady as she flails angrily at him. “Abandon me? Leave me all alone when I really need somebody?”_

_He feels the sting of tears in his eyes, but they never manifest. They would likely evaporate into dust as they meet the unearthly cold of the ice covered room. “I don’t want to leave,” he says softly. How can she not realize this decision is eating away at his very soul?_

_“So don’t. Please don’t.” Buffy sits beside him. “I can’t do this without you.” Giles longs to wrap himself in the brief respite of warmth she offers, but he knows it’s wrong. He must make her strong again._

_“You can. And that’s why I’m going. As long as I’m here you’ll always turn to me if there’s something comes up that you feel you can’t handle. And I’ll step in because, because…” Giles tries to swallow down the cold lump in his throat. “Because I can’t bear to see you suffer.”_

_“Me too,” Buffy nearly growls at him. “Hate suffering. Had about as much as I can take.”_

_Giles shivers as the offered warmth is taken away. “Believe me, I’m loathe to cause you more, but this…” Her cold stare hits him like an arctic blast in the face. If only he could make her understand. “I’ve taught you all I can about being a slayer, and your mother taught what you need to know about life.” Buffy turns away, and somehow that hurts more than the ice in her eyes. “You… You’re not going to trust that until you’re forced to stand alone.”_

_“But why now?” Buffy swings back and stares intently at him. He glances away, unable to take the force, his stomach turning. “Now that you know where I’ve been, what I’m going through?”_

_“Now, more than ever,” Giles pleads. His eyes flick upwards and he fleetingly wishes one of the crystalline stalactites above him would let go and end the whole thing. Perhaps his death would be less intolerable to her. He forces his voice to continue. “The temptation to give up is going to be overwhelming, and I can’t let-”_

_“So I won’t. No giving up. You can be here, and I can still be strong.” It’s a hollow promise, and Giles knows it. Buffy will slip back into her old habits of leaning on him as she always has, and he would never have the strength to stop her._

_He does his best to hide a whimper with a sigh. “Buffy, I’ve thought this over… and over. I believe it’s the right thing to do.”_

_“You’re wrong,” Buffy growls and storms out of the room._

_Giles sits alone, his eyes absently scanning the workout room turned ice cave. In the same corner as before, he notices the spark is now a small, struggling flame. “It’s better this way,” he whispers to it sadly, holding himself tight to try to combat the violent shivers now wracking his body. “It’ll be easier for her if she hates me. Soon, it’s likely they’ll all hate me.” He stands, turns away from the welcoming flame, and follows his slayer._


	3. Chapter 3

Willow came up beside Kennedy, looked out the cave entrance, and fell to her knees with a sob. It was only possible to tell the sun had risen because everything was a dull gray instead of black. Huge snowflakes blew every which way outside. Thick, and heavy, and completely defeating all vision. It was a whiteout. Even the stones Willow knew lay just outside the cave were nowhere to be seen. Anyone could tell that an attempt to go anywhere would be suicide.

Kennedy knelt and put an arm around her lover. “Oh Wil, I know it seems overwhelming. We’ll be all right. It’s just a little storm.”

Willow’s laugh verged on the hysterical. Her eyes flashed bright as she turned a glare toward the darkened sky. “A little storm. You think you can stop me from helping my friend? You don’t know who you’re dealing with!” Latin began to pour from her lips in a thick, ragged voice.

“No!” Kennedy grabbed her shoulders. “You’ve told me before how dangerous it is to change the weather.”

“It’ll be fine,” Willow gasped. “I’ll just shift it a little. Send it somewhere else so we can get out of here.”

“Baby, you know I love that you can do things like this. But, this isn’t a little shower, this is a blizzard, and it’s supposed to be here. If you send it somewhere else, were will it go? Will it end up over some little village where the old and sick might get snowed in and freeze to death? Are you willing to take that chance?”

“But Giles…!”

“We have him. He’s not going to drop dead this instant. He’s a survivor. You know that better than anyone. Besides, what will he think if he learns you’ve risked innocent lives for his sake?” Willow went pale at the thought. The slayer wrapped her arms around the other woman, her voice turning tender. “It’s just a storm. We can wait it out.” She wiped tears from Willow’s red cheeks. “You go back and start some breakfast. We’re running low on wood, so I should figure out how to get some more.”

“No,” Willow shook her head and grabbed the slayer’s arm. “You can’t see anything out there. It’s too dangerous.”

Kennedy smiled kindly. “Well, I wasn’t planning on just waltzing outside. I may be the first to run into a fight with a demon, but I do know when something can kick my butt. Come on, we’ll freeze out here.”

The slayer helped Willow up, and they went back to their small camp.

“There’s still enough wood for a couple hours. Hopefully the storm won’t last long.”

“Some rescue, huh?” Willow plopped down on the bed next to Giles, muttering. “I wonder when they’ll find all our mummified remains here.”

Kennedy stared intently at the pair before her and gave a short nod of decision. With a resolute, but gentle voice, she said, “I think you should take him and go.” The stricken witch looked up at her. “I saw you pack everything you need for a teleport spell. Now, you may not be able to take all three of us, but I know you can handle yourself and him. And, even if you can’t come back for me, I’ll be fine to wait out the storm and make it down to civilization on my own.”

Willow shook her head miserably. “It’s not my power that’s stopping me. You probably never even felt it, being a slayer and all, but translocating takes a toll physically. Giles is so weak right now… Even if I did focus all my power just on him, the spell might kill him. I can’t risk it, Kennedy. I can’t be the one to, to…” She hid her face in her hands.

“All right, I understand. You’re right, I never felt anything when you took me places.” She took a deep breath, hoping Willow would do the same. “So we’re stuck here until the storm passes. That’s fine. We can take care of him.”

Willow took a few calming breaths and stared forward with a small smile. “We can take care of Giles,” she repeated softly. Reaching over to stroke her fingers gently over his hair, she murmured, “No arguments this time? But you always argue when I try to take care of you. You say it’s your job to take care of us.” Her eyes drifted slowly up the IV tube to the empty bag. “Do we have any more saline bags?”

“There’s one more in the pack. It should last him today.” Kennedy fished out the bag and slid it inside her coat to warm, then carefully inspected their remaining food supply. “I’ll start breakfast, but if we’re stuck here more than another day, we might have to start a rationing plan. It’s not that we’re running short of food, but we did only plan for a week up here, and we’ll need the energy when we start traveling again.”

Willow nodded and watched as the food was prepared over the fire. She lay down spreading her slender body over the large man, suddenly feeling helpless to protect him and needing desperately to do so.

“Hey,” Kennedy began in a cheery, conversational tone, “did I ever tell you about the first time I saw Mr. Giles?” The witch slowly shook her head on his chest. “Well, you know it was back when The First was trying to take out the potentials, and he was running around saving our backsides. I think I was one of the first he came for. See, my family estate was in the countryside not far from the old Watcher’s training grounds. They identified me at a young age, so my Watcher had been living with my family and tutoring me for a long while.

“One day we were out doing some sword drills by the stables, when Gerald, my Watcher, saw something moving in the nearby woods. He ordered me to hide in the stable, but you know how I am. I thought I was ready for a fight. So, he pushed me into the tack room and wedged the door shut. I could see them coming over his shoulder. Three of those Bringer guys. A few seconds after he shut me in, I could hear them attack him. I heard him fighting all of them. He was overwhelmed, but he wasn’t going to let them get to me.

“He groaned and screamed. I could tell he was wounded, that he wouldn’t last much longer. Now, don’t spread this around, but that was the most frightened I’ve ever been. I knew they were going to kill him and then come kill me. But, as I huddled in the corner with my eyes shut, I heard this strong voice come out of nowhere and shout, ‘Hold on, Gerald, I’m with you!’ Then the noise of the fighting grew twice as loud for a few minutes and suddenly stopped.”

Kennedy stopped to put the breakfast on the plates and pour some tea. She handed the food to Willow and was pleased to see that the redhead was completely invested in the story and sat up to eat without much thought. The slayer held her silence for just a bit longer.

“Well,” the witch finally pleaded. “What happened? Were the Watchers dead? Were the Bringers about to kill you?”

“Now that would be a pitiful story indeed,” Kennedy chuckled. “I strained to hear anything. Someone still breathing. That voice that held the promise of saving the day. But there was nothing, until something started banging against the door, trying to get in. I looked around franticly for a weapon, but none of the horse tack would do against something that, I could only guess, had just killed two Watchers. So, I froze and waited.

“When the door came crashing open, I looked up and standing there was this tall man. He looked me over quickly and, as he saw I had no injuries, I watched his eyes change. They went from hard and focused for battle, to the gentlest eyes that ever asked for my trust. He let a small smile cross his lips, and do you know what he said to me?”

Willow grinned, and in her best bad Austrian accent said, “Come with me if you want to live.”

Kennedy laughed. “Can you imagine any man saying that to me and walking away without a limp? No. He seemed to look in my eyes and know what I needed to hear. He offered me a hand and said, ‘There are others in danger. I need your help’. I took his hand and he pulled me out. The three Bringers were dead on the ground. Gerald was still alive, but he had been wounded. He saw my worry and told me, ‘Go with Mr. Giles, he’ll protect you now’. I watched Mr. Giles kneel to check his wounds and make sure he’d be able to get to hospital. All Gerald said was, ‘She’s more important. Take her before they try again’. So, he did, and we left my Watcher and my home. I was with him while he saved two more girls just in time. Then he took us to the slayer, and I met you.”

“Wow,” Willow breathed. “We knew he was out gathering potentials, but we didn’t know he was being all action-hero-guy.” She suddenly turned on the unconscious man. “What were you thinking? You could have been killed!”

Kennedy laughed again. “Somehow, when things need to be done, I don’t think his own safety’s ever at the top of Mr. Giles’ priority list.”

“Obviously,” Willow gestured at him.

“Yet, he’s always made it back,” the slayer whispered.

The witch’s expression softened. She nodded, “Thank you.”

“I’m glad you feel better.” Kennedy stacked the empty dishes by the fire. “Because I’m about to make you blush.” Willow looked at her suspiciously. “I was just thinking, now that we’ve got his blood flowing again and we might be here for a while, it’s about time we check him over.” She got up to retrieve the packs and Giles’ sleeping bag. “I didn’t want to worry you last night, but look at this stuff.”

The packs were nearly torn apart, and the sleeping bag was shredded on one side.

“It looks like something with claws tried to get into these. And the sleeping bag…”

“But,” Willow took the shredded material in her hand, “he said they were peaceful. Wait, why is it only torn on the bottom?”

“First, demons have been known to change their minds. But, as for the rips, I’ve spent half the night trying to work that out. The only other possibility I can come up with is that he was dragged inside it.”

“Of course,” Willow’s eyes widened. “He must have fallen unconscious outside, and someone dragged him in here to keep him safe.”

“Or something, and for a midnight snack,” the slayer smirked.

“Slayers…” Willow groaned.

“I’m just saying he might be wounded. And, now that we’ve got him warming up, things will be worse if we don’t catch anything that needs a patch job.”

“True. He might be cut, or have something broken.” Willow unexpectedly grinned at a memory. “Do you know how long it took me to get him to let me help bandage him up? He still refuses to take his shirt all the way off in front of me.”

“Well, I don’t seeing him being all that shy right now. The problem will be keeping him warm while we look him over.”

The redhead chewed her bottom lip in thought. “We could stoke up the fire and I know how to make a bubble around us that will keep all the heat in.” She frowned, “Problem is, it would be air tight and the smoke would choke us. But only ‘til the fire consumed all of the oxygen and suffocated us all.”

Kennedy smiled at the babbled chain of thought. “Could work… What about if we stuff some more hot packs around him?”

“An even better idea. Only we’ll need those to keep him warm when we take him outside. How many do we have left?”

“Four or five,” the slayer said thoughtfully. “Not enough.”

“But a brilliant idea,” Willow suddenly got excited. “Look, the rocks around the fire are natural hot packs now. We’ll put them around him, under the sleeping bag so they don’t burn him, and they should radiate heat long enough for us to check him out.”

Kennedy nodded her approval of the plan and pulled her thick gloves on to handle the hot rocks as Willow lifted open spaces for her to put them. Soon they were sure Giles would stay warm even with the sleeping bag opened. With first aid kit in hand, the slayer knelt next to the witch.

“I can’t believe it,” she chuckled at the look on her girlfriend’s face, “you really are worried about this. Willow, yesterday I helped you practically rip his clothes off, and you’ve spent the last twelve hours nearly naked and cuddled up with him.”

“That was different,” Willow peeped. “I had other things on my mind and it wasn’t like we were looking. Believe me, if he was awake, he’d never let us do this.”

“Well, he’s not, and we have to. Hey, even being gay, it’s not like we’ve never seen a man in his shorts before,” Kennedy announced as she threw the sleeping bag open.

As soon as he was uncovered, Willow went about the task of checking Giles for wounds. She frowned at the dark bruises lining his ribs, and a thin, deep red mark that circled his waist and disappeared around his back. Tenderly probing his ribs, she checked if the damage extended to the bone underneath. With the sudden realization that things were suddenly very quiet, Willow glanced over her shoulder. The slayer had gone pale, her eyes glued to the body of the man lying before her.

“Oh Ken,” she whispered. “You really didn’t understand, did you?” Reaching out, Willow took her hand and squeezed comfortingly. “Did you think a guy they used to call Ripper,” she emphasized the nickname, “was embarrassed of his body as a man? He doesn’t like us to see him without clothes because he doesn’t like us seeing this. He hates for us to be reminded of all he’s gone through trying to keep us safe.”

Willow leaned forward and went back to checking his bruises. Soon Kennedy’s hand lightly ran over his chest and lingered on a large scar at the left side of his abdomen.

“A spear,” Willow answered the silent question. “He was trying to get us all away from Glory, trying to save Dawn. Some knight guy thought he’d make good target practice. Yet another time I thought I was watching him die.” She watched the hand trace four parallel, light pink trails across his chest. “Vahrall demons. They were trying to open the Hellmouth. Three of them attacked Giles while he was alone. We were lucky to find him alive.” Kennedy ran her fingers along an angry looking scar that stretched the length of a bicep. “That was from a Bringer. He didn’t get it attended to until he brought the potential home. Dawn and I spent a week trying to clear up the infection.”

After she had thoroughly checked the bruises, Willow looked over each hand once again and moved to his feet to check for signs of frostbite. “I think his boots did their job. His toes are a little pinker than they should be. They’d probably hurt like heck if he was awake, but it doesn’t look like he’ll lose anything. Here, help me turn him to check his back.”

Gently supporting him at shoulder and hip, the two girls rolled him up onto his side.

“My God,” the slayer breathed.

As suspected, the thin, red bruise continued around his back. On his left shoulder blade was a ragged gash. It wasn’t bleeding at the moment, but Willow began to gently clean the wound and peel the dried blood away. She knew an infection would come if it was left as it was.

“I once told him,” she said softly to the slayer still studying the reminders of the past that covered his back, “that if he really wanted the young Watchers to have a class in what it meant to follow in his footsteps and stand beside their slayers not behind them, all he had to do was stand at the front of the room and take off his shirt. Of course, he didn’t think that would be appropriate curriculum. Thing is, most of this came from an incident that is required study at the academy these days. Only, in the file, all it says now is, ‘the Watcher was taken for purposes of gaining information’. Leave it to Giles to reduce this,” she gestured to his back, “to that.”

“Angelus and the Acathla incident,” Kennedy whispered. The redhead nodded and continued to work as the slayer began to speak quietly. “My family knew of the Watchers and Slayers, so when I was identified as a potential my father was proud. He would tell me stories of great warriors. One of his favorite sayings was, ‘Stand or fall, let all your wounds be before you’. To him, having wounds or scars on your back made you a coward.”

Willow shook her head. “Clearly, your father’s never been surrounded by vampires.”

“No,” Kennedy smiled sadly, “and he’s never known anything worth being tortured for. Why would Mr. Giles not want us to know about his sacrifices to help save the world?”

“Honey… If you asked Giles to list the sacrifices he’s made, these wouldn’t even be on the page.” She saw the confusion in the dark eyes. “See this one?” Willow caressed a tiny, insignificant line over his left kidney. “This is from a crossbow bolt. A woman named Jenny shot him by accident while he was fighting a vamp. A few months later, Angelus killed her and left her for Giles to find. Giles loved her very much.” She took a deep breath to stem the emotions of the memories. “Can you close your eyes and picture Giles sitting by a fire in a library somewhere and bouncing a little girl on his knee?”

“Easily,” Kennedy nodded.

“He doesn’t know I think about that kind of stuff for him,” Willow gently rolled him back down and brushed the hair from his forehead. “If you ask me, Giles is the best Watcher there ever was. But there are so may other things he should have had in his life.”

After tucking him up in the warm cocoon, she turned and saw the tears brimming in her girlfriend’s eyes, tears only she would be able to spot. Kennedy’s lips quivered as she forced a smiled. “I’d still let you bring him to bed,” she whispered.

Willow laughed and hugged her. “Never let him know you’ve cried for him,” she whispered in her girlfriend’s ear. “He’d rather you accidentally hit him with an ax than any of us feel bad for him.”

“I think I’ve done that,” the slayer snorted.

Before either could think any more on the subject, the cave lit up and warnings sounded. “The wards,” Willow whispered.

Kennedy jumped to her feet and motioned for the witch to stay and protect their charge. With a nod, Willow took up a protective position over him and readied her magick for whatever might be coming. The slayer moved swiftly and silently, keeping to the shadows as she approached the mouth of the cave. After a few minutes of quiet, Willow was tense with worry and fear.

She projected her thoughts into her girlfriend’s mind, ‘What is it? Are you all right?’

“You’re never going to believe this,” Kennedy shouted back. “It’s safe, come take a look!”

Willow quickly glanced down at her helpless friend, and reluctantly moved away from him toward the mouth of the cave. As she arrived, she saw the slayer staring down and shaking her head.

“What is it?”

“Someone’s been watching us. And it’s going to take a bigger brain than mine to figure out if that’s a good or bad thing.” She pointed down, and Willow’s eyes followed to see a large stack of fire wood sitting just inside the cave’s entrance.

“But who?” the witch whispered. “No one can be out wandering around in that.” She glanced out into the storm, which only seemed worse than before.

“I don’t know. But it appears that whatever it is has been listening and heard me say we needed more wood.”

“So, someone’s trying to help us,” Willow said in a small, hopeful voice. “But why not come in out of the storm and say hi?”

“My slayer sense doesn’t like this. Can you tell if there’s anything strange about this wood? Something magickal or dangerous?”

The witch shook her head. “The only thing I feel is the magick that exists in all natural things. Hey, maybe the wards just scared them off.”

Kennedy nodded slowly. “Are they still in place?” The redhead closed her eyes and searched for her wards’ signature, then nodded. “Good. You get back to Mr. Giles. If there’s something around, we shouldn’t leave him unguarded. I’ll move these in and hope they don’t blow up or anything.”

Willow returned to find Giles’ head slowly rolling back and forth, his handsome face distorted in distress. Her heart jumping at the first movement he’d made since they’d found him, she ran and slid down beside him. Holding his hand and caressing his brow, the cold sweat she felt there worried her. Willow squeezed his hand as tight as she could and murmured soothing words. She begged him to fight just a little more, to come back to the world and to her.

+++++

_He’s standing in a long corridor of ice. Looking around, all signs of where he is are covered over by glassy sheets of white and blue. There’s no fighting the chill now. It penetrates his body, stabs through him from all sides. The pain and the ache of it cloud his mind._

_Buffy’s standing before him. She only looks away, unwilling to grace him with even a glance. His breath puffs out in a cloud, and he hears his own words._

_“Buffy, I- I understand your anger. Please believe me, we did what we-”_

_“He’s alive,” Buffy interrupts with no emotion. “Spike’s alive. Wood failed.”_

_Giles feels the temperature drop even more, though it seems impossible. Spike is alive. Still walking free. Able to hurt the girls, whether he means to or not. Able to hurt Buffy. And Giles knows he will. Even if the demon has learned to love. Angel loved her too, and in doing just that caused her more pain than any enemy the girl has faced. The other vampire with a soul, once trusted ally, turned killer who took so much from them. How does Buffy forget? It will happen again. One way or another, Spike will cause Buffy more pain than Giles can bear to witness._

_“Well, that doesn’t change anything,” Giles forces the fear and hurt from his voice. He notices the ice begin to cover his feet, crawl up his legs. “What I told you is still true. You need to learn-”_

_Buffy finally turns to look at him. Her cold eyes shoot more ice at him, encasing his chest and driving into his heart. “No, I think you’ve taught me everything I need to know.” She closes the door. Shuts him out and he watches it instantly become an ice wall in front of him._

_Giles swallows down cold lumps of dread and sorrow. The tears that want to fall go nowhere in the deep freeze. At the far end of the corridor, his flame companion has turned into a small fire. It dances behind him, its colors reflecting off the frozen ice-sheet walls. In his muddled mind, he thinks he can hear it. Murmuring to him. Calling to him in a soothing voice he can’t quite place. It’s inviting him into its warmth, calling him to a place that offers love and caring._

_Giles stands frozen, and waits for his slayer._


	4. Chapter 4

“Kennedy!”

The slayer rushed to the desperate cry of her girlfriend. She had been on her umpteenth patrol of the perimeter, unable to relax since the unexpected gift of firewood had appeared hours earlier. It was true that the wood was something they’d needed and it had thus far behaved as it should when burned, but she had been taught not to trust strange gifts, and until she could look into the eyes of their benefactor, human or demon, she’d remain on edge.

Kennedy quickly approached to find Willow struggling with her thrashing patient. The witch turned sparkling, green eyes up to her. “He’s too strong,” she cried. “I don’t want him to hurt himself, or me.” The slayer knelt and took Willow’s place, holding his arms on his chest. She made sure to use only the strength necessary to stop his trashing. “His ribs aren’t broken, but they may be cracked,” Willow sighed, relieved. “If he keeps this up, I’m afraid he might do them more damage, or open that wound on his shoulder.”

“How did he go from ice man to cold sweat and thrashing so fast?” Kennedy ground through her teeth, having to use more pressure to hold him than she liked. The old man was stronger than most of her peers gave him credit for.

“His body’s confused. It’s trying to regulate itself, and going from one extreme to another. It’s a wonder he hasn’t gone into shock.”

The slayer was breathing hard as he finally relaxed and she was able to let go. She frowned at the red marks her hands had left on his arms and tenderly tucked them back into the sleeping bag. Giving Willow a careful smile, she muttered, “Next time one of the girls complains about her watcher being a wimp, I’m going to tell her to go wrestle Mr. Giles for a few rounds.”

Willow chuckled sadly. “You should feel the smack down he can lay on you when he’s hopped up on magick.”

Kennedy watched the redhead gently dab the sweat from his face with a soft cloth. “Why do you do that?” she murmured.

“I hope it makes him feel better.”

“No, not that. It seems like every time you feel uncertain or worried when it comes to Mr. Giles, in some way you mention the same incident.”

“Incident,” Willow snorted. “Now you sound like him. You just don’t know what happened.”

“Okay, I’m not much for the studying part. But, after Andrew regaled us with the story of the ‘epic battle between the witch and the watcher’, I looked it up in his journals the first chance I had.”

“You’ve read Giles’ journals?” Willow eyed her suspiciously.

“At least the reports he wrote for the council,” Kennedy smiled. “Not that he told them everything. For instance, the official report leaves out your name.”

Willow exhaled slowly. “He was afraid they’d come after me. After everything I did, his only thought was to protect me.”

“My point is, from his side of the story it sounds like you got a bit upset when your lover was killed and went a little too far with the dark magick. But, his plan worked and the bad situation was defused. Now, the way Andrew tells it, you were like Saruman and Gandalf in the tower at Isengard… But we all know that Andrew tends to exaggerate.”

The slayer was surprised at the tears streaming down Willow’s cheeks as she gazed at the man. “Gandalf,” the witch whispered. “Tolkien wrote that he considered Gandalf to be an angelic being, put into the form of an old man so his power wouldn’t be too great for the world of Middle Earth. I know you’d never call yourself an angel, but you’ve been my Gandalf more than once.” With soft caresses, she tried to sooth his worry lined brow.

“I didn’t mean to make you cry… again,” Kennedy murmured. “I was just trying to say you shouldn’t keep punishing yourself so much. From the way he wrote it, you were a little confused, and the grief and magick were controlling you anyway. You didn’t even know what you were doing.”

Willow’s eyes flashed as she looked up. “He may have written that, but he knows better.” She ducked her head, trying to hide the pain on her face behind her hair. When Kennedy’s comforting hand touched her back, she flinched away. “You don’t want to know what was really in my head at the time.”

“Please… You can let it out now. I want to help you.”

With an intense stare straight ahead, Willow began in a low voice. “I knew exactly what I was doing the whole time. I knew why I was hunting down Warren and the others. I knew the consequences when I killed human beings. I knew I was hurting Buffy and Anya and everyone while they were trying to stop me.” The slayer winced at the hard pain she saw in her girlfriend’s normally soft eyes. “Then Giles showed up from out of nowhere, and with his own magick to fight me. He kept trying to talk to me, kept trying to tell me he wanted to help me. But I looked at him standing there, and the others didn’t matter anymore. All I knew was that I wanted to hurt him. I wanted to make him scream in agony. And I wanted to watch him die.”

“But I don’t understand,” the slayer whispered. “Why?”

“Because Tara was gone. And because he knew what I could become. He knew what the magick had done to him, and he abandoned me anyway. He left because it was what Buffy needed, and Buffy was always more important.” Willow looked down into his troubled face. “I’d never even realized that I wanted to be that important to him, that I was so jealous of my best friend. So I gained his full attention by fighting him.” She suddenly stood and began to pace by the fire. “I used Anya to escape the trap he’d caught me in. See, I could hear him laughing with Buffy in the other room. He never laughed like that for me anymore. So I forced Anya to help me escape and hurt her just because I could. Then Buffy kept interfering, so I threatened Dawn and Xander to get rid of her. Finally, I had Giles all to myself.

“His books and the little shop I knew made him happy burned around us and I was glad for it. Every time I caused him more pain it made me feel something… joy, sorrow, horror, it didn’t matter to me anymore. When I would hear another one of his bones break, I got physically excited. When I could draw one more scream of agony from him, it was power and ecstasy.” Kennedy swallowed hard, hearing her lover tell about the pleasure she’d taken in hurting someone she cared so much about.

Willow stilled, and knelt at Giles side, caressing his cheek. “He had nothing left. He couldn’t even stand up, and his only worry was me. The dark magick was burning through me, on its way to killing me. All he wanted me to do was stop before it was too late for me. But I reached out my hand to touch him.” She placed a hand on his chest to illustrate for Kennedy. “And I pulled. I pulled all the power he had from his body. I pulled so hard I didn’t care if I took his very soul. The way he gasped for breath, the pain in his eyes… I could feel his heart struggle to beat and his brain trying to shut down.” She looked up, and for the first time ever, the darkness in her eyes frightened the slayer. “He was mine. His life and his death belonged to me. He would never be able to leave me like Oz, and no one would ever take him away from me like Tara.

“But, then I began to feel it. Everything he held deep inside. Secret loves and desires. Things he had given up and left behind. Insecurities and self-doubt. And the pain, the overwhelming pain he lived with everyday. It all crashed over me, making my own loses and pain seem so insignificant. And there was more. It was all over me, from all over the world. So much pain and heartache. How do people survive? So, I decided to use my power and stop the pain. I left him to draw his last breath alone and went to end the world.”

“But you didn’t,” Kennedy tried to console, tears in her eyes. “You didn’t kill Mr. Giles or end the world.”

“Does it make me any less guilty because I didn’t finish the job I thought I had?”

“You’ve done so much good since then.”

“All because of him,” Willow smiled softly at the man. “Afterwards, when he was taking me to England, I thought it was to kill me or put me in some kind of mystical prison. I wasn’t going to stop him or blame him. But he took me to the coven, even opened his home to me. He made sure I had everything I needed. And, despite everything, even while he was still recovering from the terrible things I’d done to him, he was the only one who never looked at me with fear. Instead of being my judge and executioner, he went all Dumbledore on me. He and the coven taught me to control my powers and use them for good again.” When she looked up again, her eyes glowed with a completely different light. “Everything you love me for is because of him.”

Kennedy smiled and leaned forward to kiss her. “Not everything. But I’ll have to remember to thank him for a job well done when he wakes up.”

“If only he would open his eyes,” Willow whispered. “I don’t know why he won’t wake up, and it’s scaring me. Were you able to get through to the Council physicians?”

“Sorry… I tried the Council. I even tried to see if Dawn made it to our place all right. The cloud cover’s just too thick. The phone can’t find a satellite.”

“Something feels off, Kennedy. It’s like he’s going through something inside. You can see how he’s dreaming and trying to fight whatever it is. What if that’s what’s keeping him from waking up?”

“You mean like he’s trapped in his own mind?”

“I’ve seen it before with Buffy. I had to go in and find her in her memories. In the end she had to choose to come back. What if Giles is going through the same kind of thing?”

The slayer sighed at the worry on Willow’s face. “Wait… You just said you went into Buffy’s mind to help her. And you also told me that stealing his magick gave you an emotional bond to him. So, can’t you go in and see what’s happening in there?”

“No, I can’t,” the witch said sadly. At Kennedy’s questioning gaze, she elaborated. “When he took me to England, after a few weeks I noticed he looked like he wasn’t sleeping, and not just because of his injuries. He wouldn’t tell me what was wrong, so I mentioned my worries to one of my teachers from the coven. After talking through everything that had happened when I… we came to the conclusion he was sharing my nightmares. And not only seeing what might be leaking through the bond, but purposely taking many from me so I could sleep better. Sweet man,” she whispered, brushing her fingers through his damp hairline. “I couldn’t watch him suffer any more because of me, so as soon as Miss Harkness felt I could focus enough, she helped me build a wall in my mind to sever the bond. There is some lingering empathy we can both access, but we can’t enter each other’s thoughts anymore.”

“Okay, so you built this wall. Can’t you knock it down now?”

“Even if I could, I’m not sure I would. Buffy had to come back to save Dawn. But Giles… With all that’s happened, what would I say to him? What if he doesn’t want to come back?”

“He doesn’t have a choice,” Kennedy shouted with more emotion than either expected. “Mr. Giles is head of the Council. He’s the only one who can train the new watchers to look after all the slayers the right way. He is still needed here and he’s not allowed to just decide to check out. And if you can’t go in there to get him, then send me in.”

Willow couldn’t help a small smile. “Even if we have to drag him out of that thick skull of his…”

Both girls froze as he suddenly breathed out the words, “…please, Buffy…”

“I knew it,” Kennedy muttered.

Before anything further could be said, they jumped as the wards sounded again.

+++++

_Giles glances around at the large, cold room he suddenly finds himself in. It’s his office at the main slayer compound. His gaze lowers and he sighs at the stack of paperwork on the desk he sits at. He shakes his head and mutters, “If I sign one more thing, I think I just might start hating my own name.”_

_After stretching the tight muscles of his neck, he stoops over his desk and begins studying the next report. Signs of a new Hellmouth opening under a small village in Siberia. With a heavy sigh, he thinks of how the team he assigns to go and monitor that situation will surely hate his guts. But, as an old headmaster used to say, it’s a good thing he’s not there to be loved._

_Giles’ hand automatically reaches for a mini-crossbow on the underside of his desk when he hears his door swing open. It’s well past time for the office staff to have gone home and to their beds. His eyes go wide with surprise when he sees Buffy walking toward him._

_He jumps up and moves to meet her. “Buffy, dear! No one informed me of your arrival, or any plans you had to come, for that matter.” He reaches out to her, but when she doesn’t move to embrace him, settles for squeezing her shoulders._

_“Nobody knew I was on my way,” she explains almost distractedly, her arms crossed in front of her like a barrier between them. “It was kind of a spur of the moment thing.”_

_He leads her to a small sitting area in front of an ornate fireplace and slides into a comfortable armchair. “I am very glad you came to visit me. Have you seen Dawn yet? She’s been settling in quite well at the academy. Her instructors tell me she’s an exceptional student, and I anticipate she’ll become one of my most valuable Watchers.” He waits for a response, but is met with an unnerving silence. “How has Rome been?”_

_“Quiet,” Buffy finally whispers, “from a slaying perspective.”_

_“That’s precisely why I suggested the location to you,” Giles smiles. “The vampires have been, um, unwelcome in Rome for many centuries now. It has become a perfect place for a slayer to retire.”_

_“Is that what I am… retired?”_

_“You’ve earned the rest, Buffy. The life you’ve always wanted.”_

_Buffy turns her gaze to him with eyes that show a distinct lack of trust. “And what have you earned, Giles?”_

_He glances at his desk with a sigh. “Apparently, I’ve earned enough paperwork to bury me alive. Plus, a compound full of young people who haven’t yet leaned that silence can indeed be golden.” Giles does his best to keep the mood light. But, he can tell by the set of her shoulders that he has, once again, done something to upset his slayer. Fleetingly, he thinks to himself that it might be nice to find out what it is before she decides it’s worth punishing him for._

_“That’s right,” Buffy smiles, but there’s no joy behind it. “You have lots of new little slayers to impart your wisdom on nowadays, don’t you?”_

_“Buffy,” all the worry-lines on Giles brow crinkle in his confusion, “Has something happened? Are you unhappy?”_

_“Giles, it was my plan that activated all these girls. It’s my fault they’re in this fight to begin with.”_

_“A point that can be argued, but I’ll concede your claim.”_

_“My point,” she raises her voice, “is that I’m still part of this. These girls are as much my responsibility as anyone else’s.” He nods, though he knows the word ‘anyone’ is aimed directly at him. “So why do I have to learn through gossip about a top secret mission and this team of girls called ‘Mr. Giles Avengers’? What kind of name is that anyway?”_

_“Let me explain,” he sighs as she gets up and begins to pace angrily. “Please, Buffy, just listen to me.”_

+++++

Kennedy rolled into a fighting stance, scooping up a small battle ax on the way. Willow stood between Giles and the threat, gathering her magick into the palms of her hands. This time, their guest had entered the cave and was standing only five feet from the man they were determined to defend.

Willow swallowed down her fear at the sight of this intruder. It was not the legendary monster Giles had been looking for, but a tall, graceful woman. She wore a robe of black and purple that billowed around her, though the air in the cave was still. Her hair was the color of raven’s feathers and her cold eyes were two obsidian stones. In front of her, her long, pale hands formed a ball of crackling, blue energy between them. The dark lines webbing this witch’s face made Willow’s stomach twist and tighten. It was all too familiar.

The intruder made no sign to move, but, as Willow cautiously stepped forward, she heard Kennedy shout, “Stay back and protect him. I don’t know what this beast is called, but a little head chopping usually does the trick.”

Willow’s mind seemed to jump to life again and start working as the slayer lunged forward, ax raised high. Beast… she knew her girlfriend well. Kennedy might call the dark beauty before her many things, but beast was not one of them. Then there was the fact the all slayers were usually much more unsure when battling magickal foes. And why was this enemy being so still?

“Ken, stop!” Willow yelled. The slayer obeyed, but gave no doubt to any observer that the slightest move would be this monster’s last. “Tell me exactly what you see.”

“What? I see what’s right there. What is it, Willow?”

“I know, but something’s not right. She hasn’t made a threatening move yet. Just, please, answer the question.”

“What do you mean ‘she’?” Kennedy risked an uncertain glance at the redhead and decided to trust her instincts. “I see a beast. Over seven feet tall. Covered in long, dark fur. The front of its coat is matted with blood. Five inch claws on each hand, and very long fangs. Its eyes are glowing red.”

“What is it holding?”

“A head. A human head. Probably had a snack on its way back to finish off Mr. Giles. But we’re here now!” she screeched at the intruder. “You can’t have him!”

“Ken, does it frighten you?”

“What?”

“Please. Are you afraid of how it looks?”

Kennedy swallowed slowly. “I… When I was small, I had nightmares…”

Willow sighed. “You see a childhood nightmare. I see an evil version of myself.” She turned her focus on the unexpected guest. “But you’re neither, are you? This is a defense, how you’ve managed to stay hidden for so many centuries. When we look at you, we see what we fear. And I’m thinking most people don’t hang around long to give you much trouble.”

The being nodded slightly.

“Can you show us your true form?” Willow asked softly.

A small shake of the head. The being bent slowly and placed the magick ball/head on the ground. When let go, it morphed into a clay pot. By the time the witch and slayer looked back up from the vessel, their guest had vanished.

Kennedy cautiously approached the pot and slowly opened the lid. “It’s food,” she whispered. “Some kind of stew. How did you know? I nearly killed something that was only bringing us food.” The slayer hung her head and shook it sadly.

“It’s not your fault, Hon,” Willow murmured. “If they wanted to, they could have left it like the wood. I think this was some kind of test to see if we would attack blindly or figure it out.”

“But, how did you know?” Kennedy picked up the pot and placed it by the fire to warm.

“It just didn’t make sense. Everything. The half built fire. The torn up sleeping bag. The safe cave and the wood. All of it pointed to something trying to help Giles. Then there was facing my deepest fear, and you ready to ‘kill the beast’. It all seemed wrong.”

“I’m glad your big brain came through again. I don’t think I could face killing an innocent. Even an innocent demon.”

“I hope you never have to find out.” Willow whispered, wrapping her in a hug.

+++++

_Giles stares up at Buffy, tapping her foot and impatiently glaring down at him. He lets out a deep sigh that steams before him. “First, I see I’ll have to make inquires about Council security and try the impress again the meaning of the term ‘top secret’._

_I don’t suppose you’d care to tell me who deserves to suffer my wrath? I would suspect either Dawn or Andrew?”_

_“Stop trying the dottery old man act and just tell me!”_

_“All right. I had no part in the ‘Mr. Giles’ Avengers’ name. The girls, in fact, began calling themselves that when I first formed them into team five. You see, I knew we would, in time, need an elite team to handle some of the more delicate issues. I choose Rona and Chao-Ahn for their experience with us in Sunnydale and the leadership skills they have shown in helping other girls here at the academy. And I selected four of the new slayers for the training in martial arts and firearms they had been involved in never even knowing they were potentials. These girls became my exemplary squad and I have been overseeing their training personally.”_

_“So you found some obedient little girls to be your new favorites,” Buffy grumbles._

_“My fa…” Giles sputters, confused. “Buffy, for five months now these girls have worked twice as hard as the academy requires. They have done everything I’ve asked of them and more. Frankly, I’m in awe and most flattered that they have chosen their name to honor me. I have done nothing in my lifetime to come close to what these girls can accomplish.”_

_Buffy lets out a large huff and begins pacing again. He can tell she wants to be mad at him and is hell bent on staying that way. “So they’re the one’s you’ve sent on this secret mission…”_

_“Regrettably, yes,” Giles frowns. “They were the only ones close to being prepared for what they will face. Plus, in that part of China, Chao-Ahn will be an invaluable asset. Even so,” he whispers, “I fear not all will return.”_

_“God! So you just send my slayer sisters to their deaths and Mr. Watcher sits here on his ass, safe and sound. I thought you would be different, Giles!”_

_The Head of the Council stands abruptly, wanting to defend himself, but he turns and strides to his desk. With a hand on its corner for support, he lowers his gaze to the floor and speaks quietly while massaging his brow, “Two Watchers went with them. Senior men who came back and rallied on my behalf to help build a new Council dedicated to working for the slayers. Friends of mine since school days. If they lose even one slayer, I know they will also be killed defending her and the others.”_

_He can feel Buffy’s glare on the back of his neck._

_“It had to be done, Buffy. By next year that demon cult will be strong enough to threaten the world. Believe me, if you think the easy part is giving the orders and staying behind, try it once.”_

_“So, if it’s so important, why didn’t you rally the troops? Call in the Scoobies and send in those of us who’ve already been tested.”_

_Giles straightens and stares at her, his mouth slightly open. Can that be it? She wants to be the center of it all again. He shakes his head, shoving the thought from his mind. “Buffy, the Scoobies have a new task now. Willow is watching over all of South America. And, I will say, from the success and survival rate of her slayers, doing a damned fine job of it. Xander has taken his place as a strong leader in Africa. His slayers love him and I’ll admit I’m bloody proud of the young man. Even Faith has not let a rumble come from the Cleveland Hellmouth. Our job now is to teach and lead as best we can. This world is protected as it’s never been before, and if we don’t take and use the tremendous assets given us, we are nothing but neglectful in our duty.”_

_Tears shimmer in Buffy’s eyes. Whether they’re from anger or sadness, Giles can’t tell, but he can see she’s not ready to give up this fight._

_“I notice I wasn’t on that list you just spouted off,” her voice is caught somewhere between a growl and a screech. “Oh, that’s right, I’m retired. Not even worth sending in to die anymore.”_

_“Buffy, your worth is something I can’t even try to measure. You are the elder slayer, the one that came before all the others. To these girls you are legendary.” Giles rubs at his temples, still a bit lost. “If you don’t want the normal life we’ve worked so hard for, come back here. Help me prepare these girls for the evils they must face.”_

_“Oh, I’m sure you’d love that.”_

_“It would please me to no end.”_

_Buffy storms across the room, apparently looking for something else to focus on. She makes a beeline for a large map of Peru propped on an easel in the corner._

+++++

“I’m afraid to think about what might be in it, but this demon stew is pretty good.”

Willow giggled around the spoonful she’d just put in her mouth. “Compared to the freeze dried stuff we’ve been eating, it’s heaven in a bowl.”

“Lord, I wish I knew what was going on here.” Kennedy sighed. “So, I admit that maybe Mr. Giles was right about these particular demons. But, if they’ve spent all these centuries trying to stay hidden, why go to these lengths to help him, just some guy on the mountain? And why show themselves to us and try to keep us warm and fed?”

“Maybe… maybe they’re not exactly helping a stranger. Maybe he was able to find them and make contact before… well,” she gestured at the fitful man lying next to her. With a frown, she put down her bowl, and leaned over him to dab the cold sweat from his brow.

“…come back…please…” he muttered in a small, cracked voice.

Willow shook her head, blinking new tears away. “Can I ask you something?” she whispered to Kennedy.

The slayer looked up at her with a worried expression. “You know you can ask me anything.”

“Before… When we heard him say Buffy’s name… You said ‘I knew it’. Knew what? Do you think you know what’s going on with him?”

Kennedy sighed. “It’s not exactly that I know what’s wrong with him. But when you started talking about him maybe being stuck in his memories… Well, it reminded me of Gerald. Remember?” The redhead nodded. “Well, Mr. Giles is a Watcher, too. And very much like Gerald was. I remember that people would sometimes tease him. People in town didn’t understand why he would rather spend all his time teaching me than being with people his own age. Even my father would try to tell him he spent too much energy teaching me history and how to think and liked to insinuate that he was afraid to spar with me as often as he should. But everything anyone said, he’d just smile and let it roll off his back. And then there were some times when I would get mad at him and say things just to hurt him. The look he would get on his face… Gerald’s whole world was me and no one else mattered. But when I was upset, it hurt him. I can still see the look in his eyes when he made me leave him behind. A man like him,” she pointed at Giles, “I have no doubt he works his hardest for all of us. But when you really look for the heart of his world…”

“Buffy,” Willow breathed.

Kennedy nodded. “If there’s something in his head torturing him, you can bet all he sees is his slayer.”

The witch cleared the lump in her throat before glancing at the other girl. “I was afraid to ask before. Did you ever find out, I mean, what happened… to Gerald?”

“I did. Apparently, shortly after I left him there, he passed out from blood loss. No,” she raised her hand when Willow began condolences. “One of the stable boys found him and got him to hospital. He pulled through and survived. But his injuries left him in a state which made field work impossible. Last I heard, he was very happy working under Mr. Giles at the academy. He was worried about me, but he told me he was assured by the Head of the Council that I was with one of the best young Watchers in the world.”

Willow’s eyes sparkled, “Did Giles really say that about me?”

The slayer moved to the other side of their patient and began spreading more soothing balm on his chapped and peeling skin. “Of course he did. And I tend to agree with him.” Not needing to even glance, she smiled at the surprised and proud look that she knew was on her girlfriend’s face.

After a few moments Willow found her voice again. “Do, ah, do you think it would help if I did send you in? I mean, I could do that. Connect you with his thoughts.”

Kennedy shook her head slowly. “If he does have Buffy on the brain, he probably wouldn’t even notice me there.”

‘Excuse.’

Willow looked around, searching for the source of the word she had clearly heard. “What was that?”

“Hmm?” Kennedy responded, still concentrating on Giles.

“I heard someone say something. You didn’t?”

“No. The wind is all-”

‘Fear no please.’

Willow waved the slayer quiet. “There it is again. Fear no please? What the…?”

Kennedy slowly tapped her shoulder. “We have company.” Behind them stood a smaller version of what each had seen before. Only this time the illusion wavered, allowing glimpses of something bright and delicate underneath.

“Are you trying to talk to me?” Willow asked softly while standing to greet it.

It nodded slightly.

“Why didn’t the wards warn us?” Kennedy looked at the intruder nervously.

The witch chuckled, “I’m beginning to think they were setting them off just to make us feel better. They’re using telepathy to speak to me.”

‘Words difficult.’

“Okay… You, you can’t speak English out loud. That makes sense. But why can only I hear you?”

The demon’s guise faded again, giving a glimpse of the beauty hidden beneath. ‘All are one. Trust between.’

Kennedy stared at Willow. “What’s it saying? What should we do?”

The redhead smiled as she understood. “They can’t speak our language aloud. I think they figure only one of us really needs to hear them because of the way we trust each other.”

A slight incline of the demon’s head was an affirmative.

Willow chuckled. “It’s fascinating really. Their culture must rely on cooperation and understanding so much that it’s what they value most. When you look at it, that’s likely why they waited to reveal themselves to us. They were seeing if we had similar traits and could understand…”

“All right, calm down,” the slayer smiled. “You can analyze this all you want when we get safely out of here.” Her girlfriend ducked her head with a blush.

‘Ate… you?’

“Ate? What ate us?” Willow chewed her lip. “Oh! Did we eat? Yes. It was wonderful. Thank you.”

‘Give warmth, energy. Long travel.’

As Willow repeated the cryptic message, two more much larger demons entered the cave. They were dragging behind them what looked like a sled made out of full evergreen branches. One that could be dragged along the ground while gently buffering the passenger on top of it. The demons stopped when Kennedy stepped protectively between them and their approach to Giles.

‘Trust please. Friend.’

“Ken,” Willow whispered. “I think they’re here to help Giles. I think they’re calling him a friend.”

A small, simultaneous nod from three heads.

The slayer glared. “You know what I’ll do if you hurt him, right?”

‘Loyalty… understand. Friend.’

“They get it,” Willow couldn’t help smiling. “I think they’re happy that you’re so protective of him. Looks like he made a good impression after all.”

Behind them, Giles cried out unintelligibly and Willow automatically went to him.

‘Wake soon.’

“What? You know what’s happening to him? You can tell he’s gonna wake up?”

‘Must journey. Need care when time.’

The lager demons moved to where Giles was lying and lifted the entire bed assembly carefully onto the sled. One knelt to touch his face, murmuring sounds that neither woman could make out.

Willow worriedly looked at the small spokes-demon. “But we can’t go anywhere. With the blizzard, there’s no way we’ll find our way back.”

‘Lead you. Safe.’

The redhead frantically motioned to Kennedy. “Um… Let’s bundle Giles up as warm as we can and get what we need packed. Sounds like we have a ticket out of here whether we’re ready to go or not.”

“You just watch how ready I am to get out of here.” The slayer quickly prepared for travel.

+++++

_“Is this what I think it is?” Buffy shoves her finger at the map and notes set aside in the corner._

_Giles sighs heavily. “I don’t know. What, pray tell, do you think it is?”_

_“Don’t you get snippy with me, Old Man. You’re still thinking about those stupid dead demons. You’re still planning to go looking for them.”_

_“Buffy,” Giles keeps his voice steady, but his slayer’s attitude is getting tiresome. “If these demons exist, there is nothing stupid about the wealth of knowledge they can supply us with. If they can help me save just one girl…”_

_“I knew it,” Buffy accuses. “You’re planning on going yourself. I’m too important, but you get to run off whenever you want and climb some mountain. They’re demons, Giles. We kill demons!”_

_“You are too important,” he roars back. “And since when have I had time for anything but sodding paperwork? Someday, I just might get a few free minutes to go out in the world one last time. Forgive me for keeping such a selfish hope alive. Besides, we don’t kill every demon we encounter.”_

_As if responding to the raised voices, ice stalagmites burst into the room around them, bringing the artic cold._

_“No, but some of us sure try,” Buffy growls._

_“Spike?” Giles spits back. “Of course you bring up Spike. Buffy, I’ve already praised him for dying a hero. My actions may have turned out to be misguided, but they were correct at the time. The First was using him and he was killing people, a danger to you and the potentials. And it wasn’t until what we did that night that the hold over him was broken.”_

_“I told you never to talk to me about him again. I loved him, Giles!”_

_“Yes. I believe, in the end, you finally did.”_

_Buffy stomps toward him, but Giles refuses to be intimidated. “You always were the smart one, weren’t you? Knew better than everyone else...”_

_A chilled blast comes from her, engulfing him and attacking his body._

_“Why can’t you just tell me what’s troubling you? Why do we always have to be at odds now? Buffy, how I long for the days when you would just come to me and trust me.”_

_The room quakes as her glare brings more ice to encase the Watcher._

_“You want me to trust you when you’re here sending my slayers into God knows what kinds of situations. Trust is something you earn, Giles!”_

_Giles rises to his full height and steps in forward, looming over the tiny girl. “If I’ve done nothing to earn your trust, Buffy, than this is the last place I belong,” he snarls. “You think you would fair better in this office… it’s yours. You think these girls will have longer, better lives in your hands… I wish you well with them. But hear me when I say this. The future of every one of these two thousand and eighty-six, and counting, young ladies, plus the six hundred and seven watchers and trainees are your responsibility as of now. I pray for their sakes that you are a better man than I.” He grabs his coat and heads for the door._

_“And where do you think you’re going!?!”_

_“Out in the world! To find my stupid demons.”_

_“Fine!” Buffy shoots more ice, but she is the one suddenly frozen._

_In the deafening silence, Giles looks around at the alien landscape. Freezing cold with ice and slush covering every surface. His slayer stands as a statue before him, a mask of rage still frozen on her lovely face. He returns to her and strokes tender fingers down her icy cheek._

_“I love you, Buffy,” he whispers, “As I always have. I don’t think I could love my own child any more. But this must end. I can’t take the heartache anymore. I can’t wait for forgiveness that never seems to come. Rupert Giles will no longer be your whipping boy.” The tear that has never before materialized runs down his cheek. “I am only a man, doing the best I can. I must look to my own needs now. Look after my own heart. I will always be out there when you need me, but you are not the only one who needs me now. One day, I hope you understand.”_

_Giles looks up and sees the fire, strong and bright across the room. It dances happily for him and waves its welcome. He can hear it clearly now. A soft, sweet voice calling him home. He smiles to himself because it sounds like Willow._

_Giles places a loving kiss on Buffy’s forehead. He leaves his slayer and walks into the fire._

+++++

“He’s opening his eyes,” Willow shouted above the wind. Kennedy knelt beside her, gazing intently at his face as the snow whipped around them. The blizzard raged everywhere but where they huddled on an invisible path, protected by the demon’s magick.

Giles’ eyes fluttered open and finally showed them the beautiful green they’d been waiting for. His tongue slowly peeked out and slid along his badly chapped lips. “W… w-”

“Yes, it’s me, Willow,” the redhead cried, tears streaming down her face.

“W-water,” Giles pushed passed the gravel in his throat.

Both the beautiful ladies hovering over him laughed. “Of course,” Willow whispered as Kennedy produced a canteen and pressed it carefully to his mouth.

When he had taken all he could, the slayer stood and said, “Wil, get on and grab hold. We’re about to fly down this mountain.”

‘Strong now. Take. Give care.’ Willow heard their guide’s voice.

“Thank you,” she beamed, then smiled up at Kennedy. “No, you hold on. We’re going home, right now.” In a bright flash, the three humans vanished from the mountainside.


	5. Chapter 5

Beep…beep…beep…beep…

The even, familiar sound that pierced the darkness was strangely soothing. A machine’s echo of his own heartbeat. It sounded steady and strong, somewhat reassuring. The sound was soon joined by other noises of a hospital. People rushing by the open door, muffled speaker announcements, the buzz of more machinery. Then a voice, young, sweet, very much loved.

“I think he’s waking up,” Giles could hear Dawn’s excited whisper. “Finally! Go get the others.”

“Give him a minute,” Willow’s voice came from his other side. “He’s been through a lot. Let him get his bearings.”

“I know. But when he’s better, I’m still gonna whap him upside the head for trying to croak on us again.”

Giles felt his own smile grow. The damaged skin of his lips burned as it stretched. He could feel the warmth of their soft hands curling around his almost painfully oversensitive fingers. Carefully, he attempted to squeeze both hands.

“You’ll have to get in line,” Willow was saying. Then, “Giles? I felt him squeeze my… Giles, we’re here. Can you hear me?”

He slowly let his eyes flutter open, the bright lights of the stark, white room overwhelming them for a moment. When they came into focus, two lovely and worried young faces were staring intently back at him.

Dawn lunged forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. “God, that was so not cool,” she let out in a rush of breath beside his ear. “Don’t you ever make me worry like that again!”

All Giles could manage was a soft grunt as the weight of her hug made breathing difficult. With a sheepish grin, Dawn pulled back, returning to her place at his side. Her hands never left his face, chest, arm, until they again took his hand, as if she was afraid he might vanish without the physical contact.

A ragged gurgle bubbled from his throat, and Willow reached for a plastic hospital cup while beaming a bright smile at him. “I know… water,” she chuckled softly, bringing the straw carefully to his lips as Dawn found the button to help him sit up a little.

When he had had enough, Giles nodded then attempted to speak again. His voice ground out in a hoarse whisper. “How long?”

“Since the last time I saw those pretty greens?” Willow grinned. “Another day and a half here in the hospital. Before that, we still haven’t worked out how long you were unconscious. At least you’ve been more restful since we got you off the mountain.”

“Where?” Giles whispered.

“We’re in Rio,” Dawn answered happily. “At the Our Lady of something hospital.”

“I know there’s a hospital back at Slayer Headquarters. I guess, when I could finally get you out of there, all I could think of was home and hospital. This is where the magick brought us.” Willow shrugged, a little embarrassed at her lack of control.

The patient nodded his understanding and smiled reassuringly at her. He shifted a bit, trying to find the most comfortable position.

“Just as well,” the teenager blinked a tear from her eye. “I was here waiting for you anyway.”

Carefully lifting his left hand, he wiped the tear from her cheek with his thumb. “I’m all right,” he told her, his voice growing stronger as he used it. Dawn closed her eyes and nodded against his palm, fighting the urge to start crying again.

“Hey,” there was a soft knock on the open door to accompany Xander’s voice. “We heard there was a Watcher in here who’s finally decided not to check out on us yet. Mind if we come in and make sure for ourselves?”

Willow nodded just as a short, stern looking nurse pushed past the young man and went straight for Giles. She checked his vitals on the monitor and made sure the various tubes attached to him were undisturbed. When she looked around the room, her face scrunched in agitation.

“Señor must rest. There are too many here.”

Giles looked up and gave her his most charming smile while whispering in fluent Portuguese. The nurse visibly melted under his charms and smiled back. She gently removed the oxygen tube from under his nose and hung it by the bed side.

“All right. But if he tires, you go. Let him rest,” she ordered, pointing her finger around the room sharply. Then, as briskly as she appeared, she was gone.

“Wow,” Xander whispered, “I haven’t been able to get so much as a twitch from her for hours. Haven’t lost your touch with the ladies of a certain age, have you, G-man? What’d you tell her?”

Dawn looked back at the gathering and smiled. “He said that some time to see his family was the best remedy she could give him.”

“You’ve been studying your languages,” Giles squeezed her hand to express his pride. He glanced around at the strange band that had straggled into his room. Xander was followed by Kennedy, and behind them Andrew shyly attempted to be unobtrusive. The Watcher’s eyes leapt to the door as more footsteps approached.

“Gotta tell ya, G. You’re lookin’ like hell,” Faith announced as she strolled to the foot of the bed.

“Thank you, Faith,” the patient said dryly. “How did you all…?”

“What, you didn’t think oceans or wanted posters could stop any us, did you?” Faith answered. “Can’t just stand by when the big man goes down.” At his questioning gaze she continued, “Robin and the girls you sent me have the Hellmouth handled. It’ll be fine until our resident witch can be pried away from your side long enough to zap me back.” Willow turned and stuck her tongue out at the teasing.

“And your studies?” he whispered to Dawn.

The teenager smiled at him. “You know how we were talking about how great it would be to get everyone back together for the Holidays? You didn’t have to go to such extremes for me but, happy Christmas Eve! We’re together.”

Giles smiled, but glanced to the open door again. A flurry of concerned looks were passed around the room. “She’s not here,” Xander worked up the courage to tell him. “Sorry, Big Guy.”

“I, um, I did make all the travel arrangements for her,” Andrew spoke up. “And I left several messages with updates and itineraries. She never called for anyone to get her at the airport.” He continued quickly at Giles’ frown, “She’s been running the Council in your absence, Mr. Giles, trying to fill some big shoes if you ask me. Maybe something came up and she couldn’t get away. Of course, I would know if that was…” he trailed off in a mumble.

“I’m,” Giles cleared his throat, “I’m sure she’s merely swamped, as I always am. Nonetheless, I’m truly blessed to have so many of you here.”

“So,” Xander chirped, needing to lighten the mood, “Do you think you can fill us in on what was worth trying to get yourself killed over? I mean, this time…”

“Um…” Giles brought a hand up to rub his eyes and forehead and Willow gave him some more water. After a few moments he managed, “I, I’m not sure I can shed any… I remember finding the demons and being taken to their village. The elders seemed intrigued by my explanations for seeking them out. There was talk of letting my heart speak. Something, something happened, but I can’t… right now.”

Kennedy walked up beside Willow. “Maybe this will help. One of those demons gave it to me when they were helping us move you. We’ve all had a look at it, but it’s got us buggered.”

She handed him what looked like a small, black pyramid shaped stone. There were strange symbols carved into one face.

“Wil and I even worked on it for a while,” Dawn said softly. “Neither of us remember seeing any language that comes close to that.”

Giles turned it in his hands a few times and mumbled, “I don’t suppose you managed to rescue my glasses?”

Kennedy shrugged, “Slipped off the priority list for saving your life.”

This won an amused snort from the Watcher as Andrew stepped forward. “I brought a spare pair, Mr. Giles, along with some clothes and everything else I thought you might require.” The glasses were passed along until they reached their owner. “Can’t have Obi-wan without his lightsaber. If you strike him down he becomes stronger than the bad guys ever imagined.” The others only smiled, recognizing Andrew’s way of dealing with the near loss of the man who had become a roll-model to him.

“Well,” Giles slipped the glasses on, “They haven’t managed to strike me down just yet.” He studied the symbols for a few moments. “I suspect I’m one of only a very few humans to have even seen this language in written form during the last millennia. There was no way for you to even begin translating it.” He smiled reassuringly at Dawn and Willow. 

“Do you know what is says?” the teen whispered in anticipation.

“Roughly translated, it says ‘speak your name’. They meant this for me, correct?” he asked Kennedy.

“They were only in Willow’s head, but that’s the impression I got.”

“Cool,” Xander closed in a little. “Then all we had to do was say Rupert Giles.” He pronounced the name very clearly and stared at the stone expectantly. Nothing happened.

Giles chuckled at his disappointed look. “That would have been a poor security spell indeed.”

“Well, that’s your name. Unless you have one I don’t know about.” The young man glared accusingly at Giles, but the crinkles around his good eye betrayed his amusement.

“Several,” Giles answered matter-of-factly. “But I suspect this requires the most recent addition to that list.” He took a deep breath and let a progression of guttural noises roll from deep within his chest. At this, the small stone opened up like a flower and kept unfolding until it formed into a long, flat rectangle in his hands. Glowing symbols then appeared along its surface. “It’s a letter,” he gave an amused sigh.

“And that was a name?” Xander asked. “I don’t think I could repeat that with a vamp hangin’ off my neck.”

“Geez,” Faith laughed. “Makes me wonder what kinda other sounds I could squeeze out of the old man… Joke,” she responded to several raised eyebrows.

Willow laid a hand on his upper arm. “What does it mean?” she whispered.

Giles let a small blush creep onto his cheeks, the color an improvement to the sickly pale of his face. “The, um, the word means… Thoughtful Warrior.”

“That’s what they called you?” Andrew breathed. “Wow, it’s like an awesome code name to fight an evil empire with.”

“Very cool,” Dawn laughed, as the others shook their heads.

“So, what did they say?” Willow asked excitedly.

Giles stared at the page for a bit, then rubbed his eyes under his glasses. “It’s… No. Even if my head would clear enough to let me focus, I don’t think my throat would hold up.” He held it out. “Dawn, would you please do the honors?”

She took the thin material apprehensively. “Giles, I couldn’t even guess at the instructions. There’s no way I can make out a whole letter.”

“Look at the symbols,” the Watcher instructed with a small smile.

Dawn gasped, “It’s in English! They wrote it in English for you. But Willow said they were having a hard time communicating in our language.”

Giles chuckled for a moment. “True, their communication seems to be based on complete ideas rather than a language of set words. I suspect all human languages give them trouble. However,” he turned his focus to Dawn, “Maintenant examiner de nouveau.”

The teenager squeaked, “Now it‘s all in French!”

“Und noch einmal.”

“German,” Dawn laughed.

“Whatever language your mind is focused on while you are touching the page, that is what you will see. It’s a type of magick that has been lost for… Well, I would say since the fall of Babylon.”

“But these demons have been in hiding for so long they remember,” Willow said, almost to herself. “If they could teach us that spell…”

“Yes. It would make our work that much easier. Instant translations.” Giles followed her thought. “Not to mention the multitude of other magicks and histories long forgotten.”

“Awesome,” Andrew whispered, stretching a hand to examine the thin, black surface. “It’s like a universal translator.” Dawn let him take a look. “bIjatlh ‘e’ yImev! It knows Klingon, too!” He quickly passed it back as if it would bite him.

Giles sighed patiently while the rest of the room laughed. “It knows whatever language you know. The magick works directly on the brain. Very powerful and dangerous magicks when used incorrectly. That is also why these kinds of spells have never been successfully replicated. The human mind is much too complicated.”

“Wow,” Willow got excited. “And will they share this with us.”

“I don’t know,” Giles pulled his glasses off and shut his eyes to rest them. “I seem to remember a test of some kind that I was to undertake. I have no idea if I passed, or even preformed the ritual.” Willow moved to make sure his head was cradled comfortably on the pillows as he laid it back.

“Maybe the answers are in there,” Kennedy pointed. “Let’s hear it, Dawnie. Read it out.”

The girl squeezed Giles’ hand and asked softly, “Are you up for this? If you need to rest we can leave you alone for a while.”

Giles squeezed back, but didn’t lift his head or open his eyes. “I’ll be fine. I’ll rest while you read it to me, Luv. I’d like to know what they have to say.”

Dawn cleared her throat as the others settled around the room. She took a breath and began by repeating perfectly the sounds Giles had made earlier. A smile spread on his lips, hearing her read the greeting as the name they had given him.

“We are pleased to greet you as friend, for you have proven your intentions in seeking us out. As you stood before our elders, you expressed your purpose as to ask our aid in the war you now wage against the evils of the world. We have grown wary of those who seek us. Most are not truthful, craving the secrets we guard for their own gain. So, we have devised ways of finding the truth deep in the hearts of those who come. You agreed to let us see into your heart, and we have found that your words did not hold the truth you claimed.

Fear not, Thoughtful Warrior, many times the heart hides even within itself. You did not come to us for aid in your fight against evil. You, as a man, came out of love for your children. For we have seen that, though you have none of your body, there are many of your heart.”

Dawn brushed a tear from her cheek and reached up to gently rub Giles’ arm.

“Of all the reasons that men have sought us through the centuries, this is the one we understand fully. The love of our children crosses all boundaries between us. We have looked into the memories of your heart and have seen it break time and time again, yet you persist. The scale of your love impresses us, and so you have earned the right to seek our assistance. If together we save just one of your children, our partnership will be fruitful.

Now, you must be confused by the events that unfolded when you left us. It is sad that we must tell you of the death of your friend and ours. There was no aid we could give Mountain Walker. We hope it eases some of your suffering to know that he now rests with our honored dead.”

“Paulo, my guide and friend,” Giles whispered. “I was afraid to ask…”

Kennedy placed a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Mr. Giles. We only found you.”

Dawn tried to clear the lump in her throat and continued. “Once the ritual was begun, he was to take you to the protected cave to watch over and anchor you. One of our young ones watched from the other side of the chasm as the path gave from beneath his feet and he fell. Though there was nothing you could do, the young one also saw you secure a rope around yourself and scale the cliff-face after him. Near the bottom your test had begun, causing you to fall as well.”

“That must be where the strange bruises came from,” Willow thought aloud. Giles squeezed her hand.

“When our young one reached you, you had already fallen into the deep sleep and lay in a snow-bank. The child placed you in your sleep cocoon and took you to the cave. Unfortunately, not having spent time with a human, the efforts made to care for you proved unsuccessful. Rightly, the child chose to leave you to fetch an elder.

“By the time we returned, you were being well cared for. Time passes slower with us, so they must have been searching for you long before you would have considered yourself missing. And so we watched. We watched the pains of your heart at the same time we watched the tender love of the children who came for you. They did not know it, but they performed the duties to anchor you as if they had been trained by a high priest.

“This is how we grew to understand, Thoughtful Warrior. And as with you, we tested them. We found your children to be as exceptional as you believe. Each has their strengths and faults, but together they acted with great courage and wisdom. Stopping to consider the consequences for strangers before harnessing magick to aid themselves, and choosing to look closer at a moment when most would strike blindly. Please know, if you choose to return, not only are you welcome among us, but so are Fire’s Sister and Steel’s Daughter.”

“Hey,” Andrew interrupted. “You guys got cool new names, too!”

Giles couldn’t keep a proud smile from his tired face.

“Our answer to your request for aid is yes, friend. Your name will be known by the clans around the world. Ask and we are at your service. We wish you well with all your children, but hope that The One will soon see you for the love you bear her and mend the wounds she has left on your heart.”

There was silence in the room for several long moments as each tried to compose their own thoughts at the meanings of what the demons had said. At last, the spell was lifted as Faith spoke up with a bright, “Aww, we love you too, Daddy!”

Giles opened his eyes and fixed her with a mock glare. “I would be grateful if you’d let me go the rest of my life without hearing you call me that again.” The room bubbled with laughter and Faith responded with a flirty wink. Andrew opened his mouth, but was cut off when the Watcher pointed at him. “That goes doubly for you. All I need is for that to spread until I have a thousand slayers calling me,” he shuddered, “daddy.”

“It’s okay,” Dawn giggled. “We all know that’s what the name Giles really means anyway.”

He sighed in defeat. “It appears my expedition was a success after all. Let’s hope it was worth the price.” Giles closed he eyes and silently thanked Paulo for his sacrifice. He turned to Willow, all business in his voice. “I think the prudent course of action would be to place you and Kennedy at the forefront of liaising this new alliance, seeing as how you’ve already earned the respect of this tribe. The sooner we can convince them to teach us-”

“Giles,” Willow whispered with a soft smile, “it’s Christmas... or, in my case, Chanukah.”

He looked around at everyone together and sighed, “You’re right. The fight will still be there in a couple of days.”

“Can I ask you something,” the witch lowered her eyes shyly. “When we saw them, the demons, they looked like… Well, Ken saw a monster and I, um, I…”

The Watcher lifted her chin with a soft touch. “You saw the darkness in yourself.”

She swallowed hard and nodded. “I was just wondering, I mean you don’t have the answer, but I wanted to know…”

“What I saw,” he finished for her. Willow nodded as he looked around the room into curious but worried eyes. “I suppose there are many fears in my psyche they could have chosen, but to me they appeared as vampires, ordinary vampires.”

“But, of all the things you’ve faced…” Andrew began, but Xander shook his head at the other boy.

“Make perfect sense, Big Guy.”

“Yeah,” Faith nodded soberly. “When you think about it, it’s the ordinary that’ll take us out before we see it coming.”

“Us, or the girls we send out to fight it,” Kennedy added, seeing the truth of the Watcher’s fear.

Giles gave a slight nod, then stifled a yawn. “Hey,” Dawn said brightly, “we should get out of here before ‘nurse ratchet’ comes back to read us the riot act.” She stood, placing the letter on a bedside table. “Get some sleep, and we’ll be back tomorrow. And we’ll smuggle in a tree, and all your presents, and candy, and everything!”

“Dawn, I don’t need anything more than your smiling face. And besides, I don’t have anything for-”

Andrew cleared his throat. “Don’t worry, Mr. Giles, I made all the purchases you had written on your secret list before you left, and wrapped everything, and brought them with me.”

“See,” Dawn grinned, “It’ll be a perfect Christmas.” She slowly bent and kissed him on the cheek.

“Dawn’s right,” Willow laughed. “You rest up, and we’ll have lots of fun tomorrow.” The redhead leaned up and kissed his other cheek before standing.

Kennedy bent over him and whispered. “I hope you know how very much they love you.” Before he could reply, she dropped a kiss on his forehead and walked away.

Faith took the vacated spot, “Don’t worry, I’ll smuggle in the booze. But, since it seems the party’s started…” The dark slayer dove down and took his lips in an aggressive, but truly tender kiss that lasted a little longer than it should have. Leaving him breathless, she joined the other girls giggling by the door.

Andrew shrugged and started forward, but Giles regained himself in time the hold a hand up and say, “Don’t you dare.” 

With a sheepish grin, the boy shook the outstretch hand. “I’m glad you’re all right, Sir,” he whispered, then joined the others.

Xander stood for a moment with his hands in his pockets. He noticed Giles’ curious glance at a tent-like structure the blankets formed over the foot of the bed. “No worries, Big Guy. You haven’t joined the pirate club just yet. They said your toes would be super sensitive for a while, but they’re all still there.”

The Watcher looked up into Xander’s good eye. “Too bad,” he murmured affectionately. “With your eye-patch and my peg leg, we’d make quite a pair.”

“Nah, it’d be too much for the ladies of the world to handle.” Xander grinned as Giles chuckled at that. “Hey, do me a favor, will ya’. Next time you do something stupidly dangerous, give me a call so I can do it with you.”

Giles nodded at the young man’s expression of worry and protectiveness. “I promise,” he whispered simply. When Xander took his hand, he pulled the boy down into a quick hug.

Xander stood, wiping some moisture from his eye, and bounced off to join the others. Wrapping his arms around as many of the girls as he could, he led them down the hallway saying, “Wonder if we can still make the Santa surfing contest at the beach?”

Giles shook his head with a chuckle before dropping back into a peaceful sleep.

+++++

 

“Why don’t the others know you’re here?” Giles murmured without opening his eyes, sensing the presence at the foot of his bed.

“Probably because I’m a coward,” Buffy answered as she moved into a chair at the bedside. “I just couldn’t face them all yet. It’s been bad enough, ever since I ran you off both Dawn and Andrew look at me like they actually saw me put my hands around your neck and squeeze.”

Giles opened his eyes and rolled his head the look at her. “It’s not your fault. And you didn’t run me off,” he whispered.

“I think you’ve already been overruled on that charge.” She patted his arm like one would when correcting a child, but her smile took any sting out of the mild teasing.

He placed his hand on hers. “No one could have foreseen…”

“I should have. That’s the way things go for us, isn’t it? Things were once again sucking in my natural disaster of a love life, so I went looking for a good fight. And I went looking for the one man in the world who could always hold his own against me. But he’d only ever do that if I pushed him to his limits, so that’s what I set out to do. And whala, Buffy insanity for all.”

To her surprise, Giles’ only answer to these revelations was to laugh. His slayer couldn’t help but laugh, too. “Perhaps, next time, if you’d just warn me before hand…” he chuckled.

“And what would be the fun in that,” Buffy sniggered. When the giggles subsided, she sighed, “How are you?”

“The doctor was in here a while back. He said some of my extremities got a little more chilled then he liked to see. I still have all my bits, but he’s keeping me here to make sure I don’t cause any extra damage. He’s also a bit worried that he can’t find a reason for the coma I seem to have suffered. I guess he didn’t have a test for the mystically induced.”

Buffy smiled, “We do tend to challenge the medical community at times.” She then lowered her gaze and mumbled, “I’m sorry.”

“It was an accident,” her Watcher tried to sooth. “No one is at fault.”

“Not for that. I mean for getting on your case about things I shouldn’t have.” When she glanced up, she met confused eyes. “When you left, you told me to try my hand at your job, so I did.”

“I’m sure you did fi-”

“Giles, I ended up never sleeping, taking half the patrols myself because they were too dangerous, and almost causing a brand new Watcher’s rebellion.”

“All in a couple weeks,” Giles nodded with a barely surprised grin.

Then she added in a tiny whisper, “And I lost three girls.”

“Oh, Buffy, I’m so sorry.” He turned onto his side so he could pull her against his chest. “I should never have-”

“How do you do it, Giles?” Her voice was so small it broke his heart. “How do you just keep going?’

“It, um, it’s what needs to be done,” he answered softly, rocking her against him. After a few moments he ventured, “Buffy, if you could… Do you remember their names?”

She sniffed, and whispered softly, “Tawana…”

Giles cleared his throat. “Tawana Childs. 17. Found in Zimbabwe. Orphaned by the wars. She loved being a slayer. Being able to help others in trouble.”

“Her team said she saved them… There was one they called JoJo.”

“Johanna Fishbaeck. 19. She was Swedish. Raised by her grandmother, who died a short time ago.”

“And Laura.”

Giles nodded, “Laura King. 14. From Watertown, Massachusetts, I believe. Her parents will have to be notified.”

“Andrew took care of it,” Buffy whispered before pulling out of his arms to stare intently into his eyes. “Do you know all their names?”

He smiled sadly at her as he lay back. “It’s hard, with new slayers being discovered all the time. But, the girls in my care, yes I do.”

“And that’s why you’re the Watcher,” Buffy shook her head.

“I, ah, I-I don’t mean to cause any more t-tears, but was there any word from team five?”

To his surprise, an approving smile met his question. “Mr. Giles’ Avengers made it back all present and accounted for.” Giles sank into his pillows with a relieved sigh. “Apparently, they had this hard-ass, taskmaster of an instructor, who made sure they trained for anything they might face. That demon cult never had a chance.” Buffy chuckled, “When they came back, I tried to train with them and teach them a few things. Turns out, that’s hard to do ‘cause they had the same teacher I did.”

“They’re the ones who worked so hard. Thank the Lord, they made it home,” Giles murmured with his eyes drifting closed.

“I figured they earned a break for Christmas. A few of them went to see family, and the others stayed at the compound to help keep training the other girls.” She ducked her head again. “I think they’re just as worried about the old man as he is about them.”

Giles smiled, “I shall have to make a call tomorrow.” 

Buffy watched for a while as his breathing slowed. When he slightly jerked himself awake again, she slid her hand into his and whispered, “Sleep now, Watcher-mine. If I know the gang, they have some big plans for you tomorrow.”

“Buffy…” Giles murmured.

“Shh… I’ll be here when you wake up. I promise.” Giles’ slayer stayed and watched him sleep in the warmth of the hospital room.


End file.
